The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-11-14
STATE SHIPPERS
PLAN BIG FIGHT
WITH RAILROADS
Indiana Association, Backed
by Millions, to Try to Pre-
vent Advance on the Coal
Rates in December.
PLAN OF ACTION is
BEING FIGURED OUT
Five Acts of Legislation Will
Also Be Submitted to Leg
islature-Big Contest Is a
Prediction.
palladium Specially

palladium Specially
Indianapolis. Ind. Nov. lf.--Backed
by more than $250.000,0o0 capital, the
Indiana Manufacturers and Shippers
assoc. alton, 900 large and wealthy cor
lcrat!ons. will grapple with the COM
bined railroads aad with the Inter
state commerce commission. II need
lie. to prevent n general advance in
coal rates from goins into effect Dec.
].
Either by injunction TO preveE. Tic
Interstate commerce commissions ac-
tloa from becoming effective and thus
10 keep the roads from raising rates.
a. by action in the courts to uphold
q prospective ruling of the Indiana
Railroad Commission restoring the
cid rates. the state association will
t.rivc to attain It's object.
Tho latter would give more power
and prestige to tho railway commits
4 on. if II should take such action and
bs sustained. and this plan may be
adopted. Either action hinges upon
whether the Interstate Commission
decides to let the railroads raise rates.
The officers OF the manufacturers and
shippers association believe four mem.
hers of the Interstate Commission will
favor the railroads and only three op-
pose them.
Legislation Desired.
Involved in the same plan are five
nets of legislation which the shippers
will put before the Indiana legisla-
ture:
1. To remove the limit Of two
ders Of the railroad commission, and
to make the orders effective for q
time to be specified in individual
ccses by the commission itself.
.. To give the commission power
to suspend any rates pending an in.
vestigation.
>. To give the commission power
TO make rates not only on petition
but ON its own initiative.
1. To enforce more prompt settle
ment OF claims by the railroads.
s. To permit the commission to
fix the amount Of reparation In cases
In which . shipper has been over
charged ON account Of . misquoted
rate.
There will be fight" said J. v.
hartman. indianapolis secretary Of the
Manufacturers and Shippers associa-
ton. "as surely a. the manufacturers
are absolutely dependent upon coal
10 run their plants and the situation is
particularly acute In the gas belt
where many factories were built be-
fore the supply ran our gas out and
have since been kept going on coal
shipped from Indiana mines. Many
others were built there after the rail-
roads promised . rate of 50 cents a
ton. When this promise was made
by the Big Four. the Southern In.
diana. the E., and r. H.. and the Lake
Erie, the roads were perfectly willing
on account of the Increased tonnage.
Come Of the factories use 10000 cars
yearly aside from the shipping Of coal.
With the tremendous increase in ton
mage which all are seeking. It looks
mighty small to increase the rates
which are now above the original pro-
mise"
Hits oas Belt Hard.
The proposed increase will amount
20 8 cents from the mines to Chicago,
8 cents TO Indiana gast belt cities. and
M high AZ 2S cents In some towns.
above the regular so cents rate now
effective. Il would affect about 800
cities and towns In this state. chief
among which are Crawfordsville, La
fayette. Marion. Muncie. Kokomo. An
derson and Fort Wayne. There would
be no Immediate effect upon Indiana
polls. Il IL said. but this city would
probably be touched later.
The manufacturers and shippers as
sert the coal operators as body are
with them In the fight against higher
rates. II is suspected that eastern
lines are working to encourage the
use Of the long haul from eastern coal
mines to Indiana factories. Hence an
increase In Indiana railroad rates
would permit the eastern mines to cut
IN. and 10 limit the Indiana field At
present q line running north and
south through Muncic marks the d.
vision between the fields and u diff
ference Of five cents from the Indiana
mines to the factories. Il Ii argued,
would swing the manufacturers pat
ronage TO the east. Also Indiana
rates must balance with those In ILL.,
nojs II the field In this state 10 mot
20 b limited.
History of centeet.
Tho whole contest goes back to tie
up Of coal cars at Terre Haute four
years aso. The manufacturers and
A. RLlyy
Continued On Page sixl