The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-18
Decide Not to Advance
Rates After Earnings
Are Shown.
GREATER RECEIPTS
THAN EVER BEFORE
Hepburn Act, Prohibiting Passes
and Rebates, Thought Big
Help to Carriers.

Officials OF the Interstate Commerce
Commission express great satisfaction
with the assurance which has come
from New York, that for the present
at least the move for advance in freight
rates will not be further pressed pc
cause the railroad men have not been
able to agree about it.
In this connection there is an in
terestinK report that the commission
recent publication Of statistics on the
financial results Of railroad operation
for 1907, was considerably hurried II
order that 1t might get into the press
before the railroad men should have
taken action on their rate-advancing
proposition.
The commissions statistics showed
for the year ended June 30. 1907, a big
increase in gross and net revenues, and
in general indicating most remarkable
and Astounding prosperity
1t was the first complete year for
which a report has been made under
the operation Of the Hepburn acti and
It was the only year for which the
figures could in any important way il
lumine the question of the wisdom
CT unwisdom of that act. In the first
year, after the act passed. compare
It; but in the 1907 fiscal year the car
riers were fairly under the terms of
the new law.
Increase in Tonnage.
The commissions report gave the
lie 20 predictions Of ruin and disaster
sure to follow assumption OF Govern
ment authority over the roads. Instead
II showed greater tonnage, and greater
IL
senger-mile than ever before. The re-
suits. of course. were due to the stop
page of rebates and free passes, as well
as 10 the natural increase Of business,
II IL be true that these figures were
hurried TO the public In order to dis
courage the railroad managers in their
project to advance rates, II produced
the desired result. The railroad men
divided, and IL is now expected that
the project Will be postponed until at
ter election. Washington expects to
hear little more Of It until after No
vember II. then. business conditions
have not greatly improved, the au-
thorities anticipate that the railroads
will take up once more the scheme
OF getting more revenue per unit Of
traffic.
Think Move Dead.
thOrities believe the move is dead.
There never was much sympathy with
II in that quarter: indeed, Commits
sioner Clements stopped short one pro-
posal, some months ago, to advance
rates, by issuing a declaration that II
the roads tried to do that, by con-
certed action, the matter would be laid
before the law officers of the Gov
rrrfffR a nd narr-
ton be started under the antitrust law.
That was effective TO stop the move for
some tine.
Prosperity is returning, according to
all the accepted Government agencies
for det ermining such a thing. The Gus
tom houses, the internal revenue re-
ceipts, the reports on domestic and
foreign traffic, bushes conditions in
general, and especially the activities in
the big manufacturing districts, are re-
garded as the more significant because
the revival is coming at the very mid
summer season when such a thing is
commonly least expected
That Chicago should have taken out
in June more building permits than N
any other June in It's history-more
in number and more in proposed eX-
penditure-With a Presidential campaign
whole amount of reported building FOR
June vas only per cent than for the
prece ling June, are regarded as facts
OF the greatest significance.
Baer Had Help.
Therefore, the conclusion that the rate
advance is not going to be heard of
further. There IS an interesting report
that the United States Steel and other
interests close to President Baer. OF the
Reading. made il easy for Mr.. Baer
TO enter the protest against a rate dd-
vance, which put an end to its consid-
Grafton. These interests are accounted
decidedly friendly TO Mr.. Taft's Presi-
Dental ambition, and there has been
strong feeling that an advance Of rail
rates at this time would injure the Re
publican party very seriously with the
business interests Of the country.
CnITTHEACT DnAnC