Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-04-23
4 FREIGHT
RATE WAR IS
IMMINENT
This Opinion of Interstate
Commerce Commission
Officials.
NEW RATE IS FILED
Chesapeake and Ohio ROAD
May Try to Divert Bus
mess From Baltimore

Washington, April 22.-1hat a
rate war 'besw the great trunk
lines running from the Atlantic sea-
board TO the west and carrying ian
port freight traffic is now inevitable
is the opinion OF the interstate COM
merce commission officials, I'm lew
of freight tarifIs which have been
filed. according to law. by the Ches-
apeake and Ohio Railway Company.
These tariffs make a horizontal curt
in class and commodity rates on
import business from Newport News
to western points. and are calculated
to attract business from all solt II
Atlantic ports, but particularly from
Baltimore. Steamships with cargues
from abroad. which heretofore have
locked at Baltimore may hereafter
dock at Newport News In view OF
the lower railroad rate west and the
saving OF the trip up Chesapeake
Bay and Patapsco river. Newport
News has for years thrived on bust
ness diverted from Baltimore, and
unless the Baltimore and Ohio and
the Pennsylvania meet the cut made
today, and which becomes effective
on May "a, this Virginia city may
make a very serious inroad ON the
large amount Of import traffic which
has been distributed throughout ihe
west by Baltimore for many years
Started by Boston Line.
The cut, notice of which was Civ
en- today by the Chesapeake and
Ohio, is the outcome of the reduc-
tfon In rates by the Boston e. Maine
Railroad which became effective on
March 4. This New England road in
February filed tariffs with the inter
state commerce commission, which
established the Same freight rates
to Chicago and other western points
as were charged from Baltimore, rot
outstanding the much longer haul
Soon after these tariffs were filed
officials Of the seven trunk Hines
running from the Atlantic seaboard
to the same points reached by tho
Boston and Maine and tia conncc-
lions endeavored 10 have the Boston
and Maine withdraw this rate in or.
der TO proteot the business OF tse
Atlantic seaports which they feared
should be diverted to Boston. The
Boston and Maine, however, declined
to cancel their tariffs, and represen-
tatives of the Baltimore and Ohio.
the Pennsylvania, the Chesapeake
and Ohio and other trunk lines met
the cut OF the Boston and Mains
by re-establlshing the differential
which had existed before the New
England road made the initial cut
A New Low Rate.
The Boston and Maine Immediate
~ met the cut OF the trunk lines b.
a reduction which again brought she
rates from Boston and other New
Eng and potts down to Baltimore e.
middle western points. This seemed
to end the war aad sc was reopen.
Ell from rather an unexpected quar-.
ter today by the Chesapeake and
Ohio, which had been q party to the
meeting OF the original cut Of the
Boston and Maine.
Apparently without consulting the
other trunk lines II has made a rate
that is lower TO western points thai
any other railroad running from tbs
Atlantic seaboa I'd to the west,
Interstate commerce comTnissi %
officials are awaiting with interes
the action Of other trunk lines wheI
they learn o. the cut made by tn,
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
These cuts amount to cents ps
hundred pounds on hrst class freigh
cents on second class, no chang
In third class, I cent on fourth elias
1 cent on fifth class, and ia cent
on sixth Class. On commodities tn,
cut amounts to approxi matsly L cen
per hundred poupds.