The San Francisco call., 1910-06-30
Complaints Against Railroads In Pacific Coast
Cases Upheld by Decision
Continued From Page 1

than s13,Ooo,ooo, or net increase of
about $4,000 per mile of road"
Referring to other lines of the Pacific
system, the commission says:
II we take the Central Pacific alone,
we find it third in the list of Pacific
coast roads in tons carried and the
highest of all in freight earnings per
mile-S13,453 per mile in 1907. While
1t is one of three railroads In the west
carrying over 1000, 600 tons of freight
per mile of road, the earnings of the
Central Pacific per mile are 65 per cent
greater than the average in the United
States and 100 per cent greater than the
average Of the roads west of Chicago .
Account to Be Rendered
In all the cases the commission pro-
yides that the carriers shall take ac-
count OF their earnings during July,
August and September under both the
existing rates and the proposed new
rates, with view to determine the pre-
else relation between two systems of
rates.
In the case of the Portland chamber
of commerce and the Seattle chamber
of commerce against the Oregon rail-
road and navigation company, the
Northern Pacific company and other
northwestern carriers, commonly
duction will be made in the rates, but
the precise amount probably will not
be determined until next October
Lower Rates Conceded
On the hearing it was conceded by
several of the defendant lines, includ-
ing the Northern Pacific and the Great
Northern. that the present rates should
be reduced Is 2-3 per cent
Present class rates in both directions
between Chicago, the Mississippi river
and the Missouri river on one hand,
and Utah common points on the other,
are held by the commission to be un-
just and unreasonable. and material
reductions are proposed, but no order
on either class or commodity freight
rates from eastern defined territory to
Utah will be made until account of the
present and proposed rates for the
months of July, August and September
can be obtained.
Salt Lake Complaint
This conclusion is reached in the
case of the Commercial club of Salt
Lake City against the Atchison, To-
peka and Santa Fe railway company
and other carriers, The commission
also orders the carriers to reduce their
rates on fruits from California to Utah
common points
The passenger fares between Utah
common points and Omaha and Port
land are not found to be unreasona bl e
as alleged, but the fares between Salt
Lake City and Los Angeles, Salt Lake
City and San Francisco and between
Ogden and Provo and San Francisco
are declared to be unreasonable and
they are ordered reduced.
Benefit for Consumers
RENO, New, June 2s.-The Reno
rate case was heard in this city by the
full interstate commerce commission
in 1909, two sessions being required
The case was presented by the Nevada
railroad commission, on complaint of
Reno shippers against the so-called
back haul rate under which they
were forced to pay rate on eastern
shipments equal to transportation of
goods from eastern points to San
Francisco or Sacramento and back to
Reno.
tabulation of all freight shipments
to Reno from eastern points handled by
the Southern Pacific company for one
year was prepared and presented as
the basis of the complaint. 1t con-
tained showing of the receipts de-
rived by the company and the expense
to the company of the Ogden to Reno
haul.
1t was argued by the attorneys of
the complainants that the rates from
the eastto California terminal points
were reasonable and compensatory
This being true, they declared that a
substantially higher set of rates for
much shorter haul could not be rea-
sonable. In this contention they were
sustained by the decision of the COM
mission.
"A substantial reduction of the cost
of living in Nevada will be the result
of the decision, in my opinion" said
Henry Thurtell of the Nevada railroad
commission today. Il think also that
Reno will become jobbing center for
a territory of 100 miles radius about
it,