The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-08-28
FORCED TO RAISE RATES
The Railroads in Southeast File
Answer to Complaints.
SAY PUBLIC PREFER ADVANCE
Rather Than Have the Transportation
Companies Reduce Wages Of
Their Employees.

Washington, D. C.--The railroad
companies operating in the southeast
ern territory have fled their answer
before the interstate commerce com
mission to complaints which have
been brought against the advance in
rates on grain and grain products from
Ohio river crossings to the south
east
In connection with this answer, the
railroads fled a motion and demurrer
to strike out of the complaints certain
allegations with regard to the south
eastern freight association and similar
associations being combinations in re-
straint Of trade and in violation of
the Sherman antitrust law. The
grounds for this motion are:
First, that the interstate commerce
commission has frequently ruled that
it has no jurisdiction to administer
the Sherman antitrust law, that law
being solely a matter for the action
of the courts.
Second, that the interstate COM
merce commission has ruled that
rate may be reasonably low or in
deed unreasonably low, even though
1t be the result Of an Illegal combs
nation.
The railroads allege in the present
instance that while the order of Judge
Emory Speer of Georgia was in force
from August / to August 5, giving q
lower rate to shippers in Georgia than
to those in any other state in the
southeastern territory, the effect was
to demoralize and disorganize trade
and commerce..
The railway companies take the po-
sition that this is demonstration OF
the fact that such associations as the
Southeastern Freight Association are
absolutely necessary to prevent de-
moralization of commerce and that
they promote trade instead Of retard-
ing It,
The railroads deny that the in
crease will restrict the volume of traf-
fic and declare that it is not even a
sufficient compensatory charge to fair
" meet the cost in value of the
service performed by them.
They declare that the wages OF
their employees have been increased
and that prices of all articles neces-
sary for the maintenance and equip.
ment Of their lines are higher; that
the demand of the public for eficien-
CIV Of service has become more and
more exacting as well as the demand
for quicker transit, better terminal
facilities, depots and stations, larger
and more expensive cars, heavier en-
gines, stronger bridges, heavier rails
and, in all other respects, they nave
been compelled to meet an Increased
and costly demand for safe, prompt
and efficient service.
The large volume Of traffic enabled
them in some measure to keep pace
with these extra expenses, but since
November, 1907, the traffic has been
decreased, decreasing their gross rev.
enues enormously, while they have
been obliged to continue their high
scale of wages and to pay high prices
for all material and supplies.
The railroads aver that there is no
alternative left to them except TO ad-
vance their rates in order to pay their
employees.
They say that the development OF
the south depends upon an increase
rather than a decrease Of their eff
cheney, and that they believe the pub
lie prefers to see such reasonable
and fair advance in service and con-
sequent commercial development rath-
err than the holding down of the trans
portation companies to such scant re-
turns as will require them to reduce
the wages of their employees and
prevent them from maintaining serv-
ice. N.