The Mena weekly star., 1908-10-08
Five Trunk Lines File New Tariffs in Keeping With Recent Court
 Order.
Remarkable Advances Ranging from 20 to 166 Per Cent--Effective
 October IS.
PASSENGER FARES NEXT
Railroad Commissioners Are Helpless, Hands Being Tied by
 Injunctions.

Little Rock, Oct. 6.--An ad- vance in interstate freight rates, ranging from 20 to 166 per cent, H will 20 into effect throughout Ar kansas on October 15. Yesterday afternoon freight officials of the \ five trunk lines operating in the state filed the new rate schedule. # They urged that the raise was merely a return to reasonable rates, such as other states had and which existed in Arkansas before the commission made it's sweeping reductions, three years ago.
 "Some of the new rates are ab- solutely out of reason and entire y exorbitant, was the emphatic declaration of R. P. Allen, chair man of the ommlssion. "The advance is one of the most severe blows ever struck at Arkansas ln- dustries, andlthe railroads, in their defense of the change, show no ratio ,al basis for the new rates. The railroads have done away entirely with the commodity rates in less than carload lots and have put them all into classes. This means great increase in the charge for hauling A number of products which previously had commodity rates have similarly been put in classes. Otherwise, however. the roads have appar- ently used no system in figuring out the raises. The advance in the rate on one product may be much gre ter for 100 miles than It Is for 200; while Tn another product the advance will be great CT for the longer distance. Boost on Cotton Rates.
 Cotton growers will be particu- rly affected by the advance. The rate on uncompressed cotton 1 btleS has been raised from l5
 ntS for 100 ponnds per 100 niles t1 40 cents. For distances of more than l50 miles, the ad- vance is from 40 to 55 cents. On bagging, ties and buckles, for which there is great demand among he planters in this state, the rate for 100 miles, per 100 pounds, has changed from 9 to IA cents, and for 200 miles from II to lS cents.
 Oil Rates Doubled.
 The tariff on petroleum has
 lSo been doubled. for less than ear load lots. This effects all the independent shippers who have no tank system and are forced to ship their product in barrels
 If this tariff is allowed to go into effect" !" sand T. F. Gray, the independent oil dealer, "the monopoly of the oil business will
 again be put into the hands of
 the Water s-Pierce Company. It
 means that we will have to double
 our prices.
 Commission Without Power.
 The commissioners, though
 shippers Tn all lines of business
 are lmploring them to do some
 thing to prevent the new rates
 from going into effect, are power
 lesS The railroads, through
 timely injunctions, have tied
 their hands As one commission
 CT put it, "they can do just as
 they please with the public until
 We have the injunction forblding
 us to interfere in the making oi
 tariffs removed.
 Will Make Coal Go Up.
 The price of coal will be great
 bis winter, owing to tho
 c1ange of ihe classification 1T
 The product. Formerly under the
 tuling of the comml ssion, coa
 vas given group rate; that \
 coal mines in a certain district
 were given the same rate to
 trftaiu city. 1t matters no
 whether the mines was l25 o
 200 miles away. The railroads
 lave now made distinct mileage
 Taie-so much for 100 miles. II
 lhe future the nearest will ge
 'he lowest rate, while those com
 psutors farthest away, with in
 creased prices, will set the prlc'
 Tor coal iu any given locality.