New-York tribune., 1909-10-19
NO INCREASE OF RATES
WCREA MIKES DENIAL.
Writes Letter to Shippers, Uho
Meet an Cincinnati Tonight.

Philadelphia Oct. 1s.-President McCrea. OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company. in letter to com
mercaI bodies and firms in Cincinnati Day IN
danapolis and other points east of the Miss'ssipp
River, denies that the question OF genera au
vance in freight rates or in classification IS no"
under consideration or contemplated lie says
further that c. c. Mccain who issued paihphet
on which letters to Presidents Brown Murray anu
McCrea were based "does not speak for the car
riers but solely for himself" The letter Is in part
follows:
You refer to a pamphlet issued by C. C. Nc
Cain and say that 'it is assumed that the carriers;
either his premises or his conclusions dedueed
theTefrOm to pass unchallenged anu S0H S1Hr,,nS 70
the 'front.' again the question OF general advance
in freight. rates, particularly in official classie'
In the first place no question of general advance
consideration or contemplated by the railroads
in the territory in which our lines operate,; ,r
hension one as in the pamphlet referred to MI Mccain
does not speak for the carriers but solely Tor him
The criticisms contained in your letter therefore
should properly be addressed to Mr.. McCain, ana
we have forwarded your letter to MN IN IOr ms
''''9'0'- '''Oi anu JAMES M'CREA, President.
meeting of important shipping interests is to
be held in Cincinnati tomorrow night TO protest
against increasing freight rates in the territory
east of the Mississippi River.
Believing that such advance is probable
many organizations Of shippers throughout the
u
the meeting at Cincinnati. In addition. they have
prepared a letter addressed to w. C. Brown, presi-
dent of the New York Central lines; Oscar G.
Murray, president of the Baltimore & Ohio. and
james McCrea, president of the Pennsylvania
Railroad
basis of figures furnished by the railroads them
selves. under oath, TO the Interstate Commerce
Commission:
That the net income mile Of road Of railroads ads
1897 by Si534 an increase of 345 per cent
That the net inco Of all the railroads. in the
1897 ss1 .257,5 ,5O6, an Increase Of 453 per cent.
That the surplus from operations Of all the rail.
net income for 1897 by S6O.6O5. .7S5.
dends increased from sI.6G3. 54s.s7s in 1897 to
S494S 756,203 in 1907, an increase of 2O6- :
from 54 per cent in i8s7 to- per Cent in
an increase of 14.7 per cent.
The letter to the presidents says at this point
Statistics are usually somewhat dull But a
the story of Aladdin and his wonderful lamp
In 1897 the railroad AIaddlns OF the united states
touched the railroads with ths lamp or american
genius" and the results in 1907 were as marvel marvel
from touch of his wonderful lamp"
In conclusion, the letter says:
In a spirit of conservatism we submit this
statement and these tables to YOU for careful
that in question of this Importance only the ab-
Overzealous and misguided legislatures might
make inaccurate statistical data the basis for fur
ther unwIse state laws affecting adversely the in
terests of the carriers We wish to avoid this, as
laws already upon the statute books
complaint of farreaching consequence was
filed to-day with the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, involving the reasonableness and lawfulness
of rates charged by the railroads In the south
western part of the country shipments TO in
terror Middle Western points.
q bV 1JvaS
pers Traffic Association. representing shippers in
Texas, Oklahoma. Kansas and Colorado against
the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe and thirty-seven
other interstate carriers. 1t is alleged that the
rates on traffic through Galveston, Port Arthur
Port Bolivar and Texas City, Tex, destined to
points in Oklahoma. Kansas and Colorado. are un-
just. unlawful discriminatory and prejudicial to
the interests Of the points of destination.