New-York tribune., 1910-07-21
NO FREIGHT RATE RAISE
Present Schedule of Charges Will
Continue in Effect Until Dec. l.
TO INVESTIGATE TARIFFS
Commissioners VIII Report,
After Hearings, Whether
an Increase Is Just.
rFron, TIE Tribune Bureau-l

From TIE Tribune Bureaul
washington. July e0-There viii he no
general increase IN freight rates either by
Eastern or Western railroads until De
cernber ! Whether there viii be an in
crease on that date viii depend upon the
findings Of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission as 70 whether the proposed in
creases are Just and reasonable. At the
earliest possible date the special exarni-
r1ers Of the commission viii begin thor
ough investigation Of the new tariffs.
The first hearing viii 5e held in New
York next month. when the attorneys and
traffic managers of the Eastern trunk
lines VIII make an argument that the pro
posed advances are necessary TO the Il
nancial success OF the roads. Later in the
month z hearing VIII be given the Western
roads al Chicago The commission hopes
70 have enough Information by November
70 pass upon the reasonabIeness OF the
new rates but 4 II is not equipped TO
pass upon the question al thar time the
proposed increases may be suspended until
further investigation can be made.
I was announced last week that the
commission would suspend the general
advances in freight rates fled by Eastern
and Western carriers which were to be-
come effective on August / = conference
Eastern roads and Chairman Knapp re-
suited IN voluntary suspension by the
roads OF ali proposed Increases until No
ver1lber L They wiU be relied on that
date 10 become effective thirty days later
The attitude Of the carriers il this mat
Tar greatly pleased the Interstate Com
rnerce Commission The action taken 10
dav obv1ates the necessity Tor issuing
numerous suspension orders. and viii en-
ehle The government experts 70 oeFole
their exclusive attention for four montns
- . careful study of all the facts bearing
on the proposed new tariffs. The new n
fe-stafe commerce law authorizes the com
mission TO suspend new rates for perloa
Of 10 DAYS. and for a further perioo OF
six months provided the hearing as 10 1he
resSona bieness Of the new rates is not coil-
,l,,5e5 u-f+f7ir rhe first period Of suspen-
sion The Law requires the cof1lTrllsSioh u
Sc Nth 4re carriers statement in writing
= +.- -a.z,,e for the original suspension
The commission found itself con1ronleu
;.b 9 4orrrida bl4 task. Fifteen thousand
tariffs affecting many hundred thouSaiiU
s,,zs--sd,,sI --ates were involved In the IN
--assas which fhe commission INTENDED 70
e7,snand The new tariffs embodied IN
o-assos IN commodity rates ranging from
"a q rar cont The issuance OF suspension
orders woufd require the sending out ol
thousands OF notices challenging each pro
7,,.sed increase and setting out reasons why
q should he suspended
7 is believed that the action taken ~
nav nv the Eastern carriers viii he fol
1ov-ed in q few DAYS by the Western roads
Chairman Knapp Is TO have conference
on Friday with the traffic managers OF the
Western trunk lines. The Western TraTnc
Association. OF behalf OF twenty-five rail-
roads in that association, fled general n
c~eases in rates in the territory west OF
the 1Tississf-7ui River. to become effective
on June / These increa ses were restrained
bv the United States courts at the instance
Of Attorney General WickershaTn- Later
the railroads withdrew the new tariffs and
did nor ref7fe them until the new interstate
commerce Iar- went into effect The com
mission has announced its purpose 10 sus-
PEND these rates and the orders Of sUspen-
sion are now being prepared IF the West
ern lines agree 10 follow the course adopt
ed bv the Eastern roads no suspension or
ders viii be issued and there viii he no
unnecessary delay n the proceedings 10 de-
tarr7line whether the railroads shall be per
1n7rted TO make the proposed advances
The following statement was issued by
- Interstate Commerce Commission this
7~Se-noon- 1t being understood that the
commission would exercise its authority IN
der the new law and suspend al general
and important advances made for the pur-
pose cf increasing revenue the principal
carriers IN the classification territory.
through . commission appointed FOR that
purpose, proposed to-day 10 voluntarily
postpone the effective date for such ad-
vanced rates until November ! next. and
ar agreement 10 thai effect was made after
conference with the commission.
This viii noT delay investigation and de-
clsion as 70 the reasonableness of the pro-
posed advances. but viii obviate the neoes-
sity a. this time for numerous suspension
orders which otherwise would be made
The Official classification territory COM
prlses ali Of that north Of the Ohio and
Potomac rivers and east of the Mississippi
River, including Washington.