Omaha daily bee., 1908-05-13
HIGHER RATES PINCH HARD
Nearly Fifteen Per Cent in Some Gases
and Apply in West.
TRAFFIC LEAGUE HANDS PACKAGE
Guild Appeals to Railroad President
for Right of Hearing, Citing
that Heavy Increases Now
Are Injurious.

"Evidence before the meeting of the Ma
tional Industrial Traffic league in Chicago
Monday disclosed the fact that the advance
in freight rates proposed by the railroads
is more than simply tc increase the rates
between tho seaboard and Chicago, and is
so widespread that the league recognized
its duty to act in the matter at once"
This was the statement of ]. M. Guild
commissioner of the Commercial club, who
returned Tuesday morning from meeting
Of the league held in Chicago. and in which
forty representatives of commercial or
ganizations and Industrial concerns partici-
pated. The shippers came from almost all
parts Of the country and from points as far
west as Colorado.
'The league would not have touched the
matter had there not been, evidence that
the rates are to be increased in the trans
continental routes. and II the eastern in
creaees did not affect the transmississlppi
country so directly" said Mr.. Guild.
What II Really Means.
Evidence has been hard to get, but there
was sufficient 20 show that the railroads
intend to increase the rates from the sea-
board 10 Chicago even more than was
first suspected. on the five classes, the
advance in cents would be- First, 10 cents
per hundreds; second, cents per hundred;
third, cents per hundred; fourth. cents
per hundred, and fifth, cents per hun
dred.
ut was at first supposed that the in
crease would amount to 10 per cent, but
these advances show that the five classes
will be advanced 1S.s 1879. 14S. 10 and per
cent, respectively
The advance in commodity rates will
amount to cents per hundred pounds, or
20 cents per ton"
Mr.. Guild win report the action of the
meeting to the transportation committee
Of the club at its meeting Thursday, but
It is not known what action the Omaha
club will take. There is a general feeling
that the action of the shippers should be
conciliatory, and this was shown by the
letter which the National Industrial Traffic
league will send TO the presidents of all
the railroad companies in the United
States,
Copy of the Letter.
Commissioner Guild furnished a copy OF
this letter which is as follows:
TO THE PRESIDENTS OF THE RAIL
ROADS OF THE UNITED STATES;
II is currently reported in the press, an,
confirmed through other sources, that tn
common carriers OF this country propos
10 make an advance in rates on both clas
and commodities OF approximately ten 90
per cent.
While we believe the right to initiat
rates should rest primarily with the car
riers, owing TO their character deriving
their rights from the public as commo
carriers, they exercise certain function
which should be considered in the yrela
tions existing between them and the public
We are unwilling to deny the right {
advance is correlated to the right TO re
duee a rate. We do believe, however, tina
in the exercise of that right. when 1t con
templates an advance In all class as we
as commodity rates throughout the coun
try, the right OF the shipper and genera
public ia to be considered, and they shoul
have an opportunity TO be heard upon sue
questions before general advance is mad
effective.
High railroad executive officials in pub
lie declarations have advocated co-opers