The Washington herald., 1908-08-02
FIGHT HIGHER RATES
Dry Goods Nen Say Freight
Tariffs Are Right.
LAKE SHIPPERS COMPLAIN
IncOnsissezcy of Advancing Cost of
transportation in Southeast and
Decreasing wheat shipments from
Chicago Pointed Ogt-COmmercc
Commission Makes Attitude Plain.


I Commission Makes Attitude Plain.
! Whether the great railroad magnates
{ T the country seriously contemplate
{ general raising OF freight rates through
out the country. and in Southeastern
classification territory especially, may be
a moOted question. II may be that the
announcement Of such a determination
has served its purpose already in the
higher range OF stock quotations Some
have shrewdIy suspected that there was
more stock jobbing than anything else
In the talk about the increase IN freight
rates. but the exploitation OF tie views
Of q number 81 railroad presidents.
hnanciers AID even some large ship
lpers, on the subject mas been sufficient
70 start bitter opposition 10 the plan from
sources which the railroad men must
have known would IN the end defeat any
such project
Dry Goods Men Protest.
The National Wholesale Dry Goods
Association has declared itself emphatic
ally against the proposed increase IN
railroad freight rates Not content vita
registering its opposition in the form O.
resolutions Ct disapprovaL drafted by the
secretary-treasurer Douglass DaIam.
. The executive committee urges the Inter
state Commerce Commission and o1hers
| having authority. to use every means II
their power TO prevent such increase, be-
lleving il Illogical Unjustihaole- ana II
! 10 sense warranted
In resolutions adopted by this assoc-a-
r ton it IS pointed out that there IS not
I only no need for the proposed advance
= IN freight rates. but that the position o.
the railroads in the matter is inimicdl
70 the return Of prosperity, in that the
= increase II freights would hamper ousl-
ness hinder production. and place
! heavier burden on the consumer than he
! now bears
Lower Rates from Chicago
IN this connection may be cited the
complaint OF the Lake Shippers that tEe
E railroads have so cut the rates On grain
I running from Chicago 70 the seaboard as
2 20 drive many 81 the Lake carriers out O.
b business. To such an extent mas the vol
r ur1e OF freight been diverted from tie
70 lakes that a movement is on foot 20
: bring The matter before The Interstate
J.. Commerce Commission for investigation
and adjustment
dispatch from Buffalo states that
/. wheat going 10 New York for domestic
: use IS carried BY all rail az a rate which
( is proportioaateIy 4S5 cents Per 100 pounds
, cheaper than the rate on grain which
= comes 10 Buffalo by Lake boats and goes
- % New York by rail Il the wheat IS
- Intended for export Il is carried -ss
> cents Per 100 pounds cheaper
: This 6iferentiaI. il IS expected viii turn
:. thousands Of tons OF freight 20 the empty
= cars between Buffalo and ClicaSo- me
= Grain men say the differe1tial u favor of
= exuort wheat makes Il impossible for t1e
- American export 70 compete with the Ca
= madam dealer and much Of TIE wheat
y that should 20 through Buffalo and Ne"
: York gateways Is now being diverted .
= Canada Only 80 Der cent o< the vessels
= on the Great Lakes have been in opera
. tiol This year The others have been y
= ing in harb0rs and have not had Ares
under their boilers since last fan
Lake Men Complain
The Western inrosd on Lake commerce
IS bringing out a loud protest from the
Lake men. The great wheat crops OF the
West and Northwest VIII be coming 70
1s ward Buffalo in a few weeks The big
crop IS always said to be owned BY James
IS J. Hin and the presidents OF the other
granger lines. Last year the railroads
'lo At Buffalo devoted all their facilities "a
moving the wheat al the expense oH~l0-
es cal traffic.
The condition became 50 acute that q
= merchant IN Buffalo found IL tSok twc
weeks 70 get keg OF nails 70 customer
es in Rochester beCaUss the railroads were
moving nothing but grain The puhllt
~ service commission stopped that and has
a. taken steps 20 see that Il Is not repeated
this year. but this newest question oi
o, rates Is beyond the Jurisdiction Of. tbs
: public service commission. as the grair
80 affected By Il Is ali interstate shipn1e ert
L IS a case for the iI,--Sta1e commission
m Commission Serves Notice.
Il the protest OF the Dry Goods Asso-
as ciaticn and other commercial bodies
IN should pass uuheeded. and = no attea,
tion should be paid 70 the Inconsistency
II Of the railroads IN raising freights in The
eT Southeast classification territory. and de
CreasinE them in the seaboard traffic from
q Chicago, the action OF the Interstate Com
g uerce Commission IN PronUlEatiEg {
OF statement tantauount 70 notice tha
the railroads VIII not be allowed 70 rais'
re freights in any such general manner g.
an suggested Of late sets the question a
ed rest
Il IS stated by the commission tha
as proposed changes have been checked ol
Is the commission as tariffs have beer
or fled. that there are a number of thes'
mission has no power 20 suspend the TAX
on ing effect of a rate. but has power. wheI
.ot Il IS once in effect. 10 investigate and
he on finding It unreasonable, 20 order reduc
~ ton
les The commission states that there nee'
be no concern as to its course, and n
Il dicates that shippers viii not need q
id make complaints. because the commission
- viii on its own initiative. proceed 10 n
81 vestigate the reasonableness Of the pro
st posed advances just as soon as its pOwe
ne 10 do so applies
lra The announcement IS considered eQGtva
he lent 10 the assurance that the advance
will be found unreasonable There Is =
, suggestion Of adopting the policy, favore
= BY some Of the commission, OF askinl
= the Attorney General to enjoin the en-
= tire series Of advances. pending iuvesti
= cation. but there is reason to believe n
- President and his advisers have con
- sidered this. and that II may be done
Interest Centers in Air Line.
The June statement OF earnings and ex
penses OF the SeabOard Air Line Raj
way IS awaited with much interest f
ng local financial circles. Although the fg
tie ures Will not be available for several days
il IS not believed that the showing vi
" be much better than was made in May