The Topeka state journal., 1908-12-09
Railroads Are Busy Revising
Freight Schedules.
Great Secrecy Prevails in Refer
ence to Changes.
INCREASE is CERTAIN.
Officials Justify Such Action by
Changed Conditions.
Shippers Will Be Face to Face
With Situation Jan. I.

If the present indications are to be
realized, there will be substantial in
crease in freight rates announced,
which will take effect within two
months. All the western ROADS are
revising their present tariffs and eX-
pect to have the work completed by
January 1. At this time the new
tariffs viii be promulgated and VIII
probably take effect on February 1. as
the interstate commerce commission
requires a thirty day notice before any
changes can be effected.
The officials of western roads do not
denv that there will be changes IN the
tariffs. Some of the local officials aver
that in many cases reduction VIII De
made. while in some cases the rates
will be increased. But in regard TO
possible changes all officials are MAIN
tanning a discreet silence.
Local shippers claim to have re
ceived some inside information to the
effect that on many OF the inlpo lpo.5 rtai5I
commodities the rates VIII pc ralseu;
This is causing much uneaSlneSS anu
the DrOmuIgation of the new tarlfIS Is
awaited with anxiety.
The general freight offices of the
Santa Fe which are located IN To-
peka. have been working on the new
schedules for several weeks ana II
thev get through by the end OF the
year a lot of work must be done yet,
As one official put it today, the
work of revising schedules Is a Dig
iob There is so much to be taken
into consideration. The different ter
ritories have different rates, due 70 tile
short line hauls. and other conditions
The differentialS also prove big bones
Of contention. and the causes of no
small amount of trouble when it comes
to computing the rates between ulIler-
emf points of different commO dltles
The fact that the roads east OF chi
increases
tive December ~26, has strengthened
the apprehension of shippers In TINS
section. that rates will be increased
shortly These increases which have
ALREADY been announced and are being
threshed out by the interstate COM
merce commission apply to all classes
of freight from the seaboard points OF
baltimore and Philadelphia, both lake
and rail. destined to points west of the
Mississippi river. These tariffs an
nounce the increase in the first three
and fifth classes of freight of cents
per 100 pounds the rates from Balti-
more to the Mississippi river being in
creased from 10 to u cents, While
from Philadelphia the rates have
been increased from u to "A cents.
This increase will do away with the
present differential which has existed
between the lake and rail rates from
the seapOrts. This differential was re-
Gently increased in favor of Chicago
because of her strategic position on
Eastern traffic officials have said
that these increases were the forerun
ners of further increases which would
be made all over the country and
wherever it is thought safe to make
increases. They claim ability to de-
fend all these rates before the COM
merce commission.
Little consolation is offered to the
shippers in the present crisis in the
west. The railroads take the position
that their new schedules are carefully
thought out and that they are justified
in making changes.
one local official in talking over the
situation today made the following
statement. which may be considered a
tacit admission that there will be
something doing:
I'VE are well aware that in the
event of an increase in freight rates, |
a storm of protest will emanate from |
the shippers for the rates on many
important commodities would come |
under the official classifcations in |
which the rates would be raised. Many
of the broader minded. however. real /
tze the present railroad conditions and |
are preparing for an increase.
1T must be conceded that the rail- |
roads have good grounds for making |
changes. in view of the present cOndi- |
tions. All material is higher and the |