Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-11-02
FREIGHT RATE
EVIDENCE IS
CONCLUDED
ATTORNEYS TO PRESENT
ARGUMENTS DECEMBER IA
Decision Of Interstate Com
mission Is Expected to Be the
Most Important Ever Given
By That Body,


IBy Morning journal Special LEASED wireI
Chicago, Nov. 1.-Presentation OF
evidence in the rate hearing before
the Interstate commerce commission
was concluded this afternoon. Argu-
ments on the evidence viii be- heard
by the commission at Washington on
December IA, and after due delibera-
ton the commission viii announce
what it is generally considered will be
the most important decision II has
ever given.
The hearing was instituted at the
instance of shippers who rose in pros
test when western railroads an-
nounced that rates on fifty different
commodities would be advanced. OPP
position to this became general and
the railroads agreed not to put the
new rates into effect until the inter-
state commerce commission had con-
Quoted a hearing at which the ship
pers should be heard as TO the fair
ness OF the proposed advance.
Hearings were held at New York
and Chicago, conducted at first by an
examiner. but later, owing to the par
amount importance of the case, Com
missioners Clark and Lane assumed
the duty 1t took the shippers only a
few hours to introduce evidence, but
an imposing mass of statistics and
testimony went into the record for
the railroads. The shippers were rep
resented by a number of attorneys
who confined their efforts largely to
attacking the railway evidence rather
than to introducing original testi-
mony for themselves Railway men
mitted that the advance in rates on
the fifty commodities which formed
the basis of the hearing. was merely
an entering wedge, the ultimate pur-
pose being TO advance rates all along
the line According to the shippers,
the final effect OF this policy would be
to place tax Of $500, 100000 on the
consumers.
In a general way the argument pre-
sented by the railroads was that in
creased rates were necessary for the
following regulations:
j. Increased wages to employees.
>. Increased cost of maintenance
and operation.
g. Public demand for increased ef-
ficiency and expansion Of transporta-
ton facilities
The position taken by the shippers
was that the railroads are receiving
generous return on their actual in
vestment. and among other things
they sought to show on cross exam
nation that the low rate of earning
shown in the statistics presented was
due more to oyer-ca pitalization than
to low rates.
During the examination today of
Stanley II. Johnson, assistant freight
traffic manager Of the Rock Island
road. Commissioner Lane asked some
pointed questions.
Il have found in my experience"
he said. that railroads find very little
difficulty in raising rates without
much justification and at any time
they see fit If there were no re-
straint placed on the railroads, could
not the roads advance the rates with
out end ?"
"Of course If the railroads were
Indifferent to public opinion
and were not a body of fair-minded
men, the rates might be raised end
lessly. but this would not be done, as
the roads only ask a fair profit re-
piled Mr.. Johnson.
rs # not a fact" asked Commis-
sloner Lane, that deep down in the
mind of the traffic manager he knows
hat even the present rate is too
nigh"
This brought a laugh from the
crowd, during which the witness re-
Piled in the negative.
In the course of his testimony. Mr..
Johnson admitted that no general adj
vance in rates were made by the rail-
'oads without agreement with other
IF they did" he replied. "it would
mean going out Of business.
Attorney Ellis, representing the Chi
ago. Milwaukee & st. Paul. intro
luced tables showing the effect which
he proposed advances would have no
raffic in South Dakota and North
Dakota.
The tables showed that the in
.reased revenue on 1.634.667,s 500 |
pounds Of wheat. coarse grain, flour
md other mills. products would /
mount 10 S246.675. His tables showed |
hat Of the proposed increase which |
IN all commodities he estimated at |
1888. 600. nearly half would come out
,f the farmers OF the two Dakotas.
dr. Ellis declared that while railroad |
ates have been standing still, the
armer has been earning $50 more
,er acre from his farm The road, ne
eclared. IS asking only an increase Of
. cents per acre for freight charges
m farm products.
That's not SO bad" said the Wit
less. we helped the farmer to get
hat $3.50 and for our share we ask
My 3 cents"
Green FaVors Democrat.
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