Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-03
RAILROADS RUSH
RATE INCREASES
Bio Eastern Systems File Notices
with the Interstate Com
merCe Commission
RATES GO UP 8 TO 81 P. C.
Lines Thought to Be Anticipating
Passage of the Senate
Measure
Associated Press1

WASHINGTON, June 2.-Undaunted
by the governments proceedings under
the sherman antitrust act, by which
part of the proposed increase of freight
rates in the territory west of the Mis-
sissippi river was suspended by IN
junction, railroads in the east and
middle west today filed with the inter
state commerce commission tariffs of
increase rates.
Attorney General Wickersham re-
fuses to indicate what course he will
pursue in behalf of the government.
and the senate, just on the verge or
passing the administration rate bill,
hesitated and finally postponed action
until tomorrow.
Practically every railroad system in
the north from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific tonight has filed with the commits
sion the legal notification of proposed
increases in commodity rates. The IN
creases range from 8 to 81 per cent.
MORE SCHEDULES
The day started with the filing of
schedules of increases by the New
York Central, the West Shore and the
Lackawanna. Then the official pro-
posal from the roads traversing the
territory from Chicago and Milwaukee
to Indianapolis and Ohio river points,
twenty-three in all, was brought in
During the afternoon increased tariffs
from the Atlantic seaboard to Chicago,
st. Paul and intermediate points were
filed. ~ h
Like the revised schedules filed by
roads west of the Mississippi, the
schedules of the central freight terri
tory were filed in concert. On the
other hand the eastern roads filed re
vised tariffs individually.
The increases proposed by the roads
in the middle west range from to 81
per cent. Those from the seaboard to
the west vary from 8 to 20 per cent
The B. & o. increase on rates from
Chicago to the seaboard averages
about 10 per cent.
The time set for the increases to go
into effect on the eastern roads was
generally July 5. On the roads in the
middle west July 1 was the date fixed.
Before the revised tariffs began TO
pour in on the commission, Attorney
General WiCkersham was receiving
kilograms from western shippers asking
him to take action to have the m1unc-
ton, issued by the federal court IN
Missouri. extended to other commodl-
ties, especially WOOL
ATTORNEY GENERAL RETICENT
Reply was made that II now was loo
late 1t was explained that the gov
ernment included in the bill such rates
as had been called to its attention, and
the failure of other rates to be included
must be laid at the door of shippers.
AS to the course Of the government
in regard to roads in the east and
middle west, the attorney general was
not ready to talk. Immediate action
is not necessary, inasmuch as the rates
are not to go into effect for a month.
Mr.. Wickersham said that no com
plants had as yet been received by
him from shippers in the east or middle
west. Furthermore, he pointed out that
conditions under which the roads In
the east and middle west had filed
their cases might be entirely different
from those governing the action OF the
Western Traffic association. There
was feeling among members or the
commission that more tariffs would De
filed within the next few days, making
the increase general throughout the
country on shipments both ways.
It is said that in view of the PROB
able early passage of the administra-
ton railroad bill, the roads Will lose
no time in filing other advanced tar
ifs. The bill in its present form gives
the commission power to investigate
the reasOna bleness of proposed IN
creased rates and to suspend them as
long as ten months. Unless the rail
roads have put their new rates into
oneration before the bill becomes law
the commission might suspend their
onoratiOO