New-York tribune., 1910-06-24
COMMUTERS GET BUSY
New Brunswick Files First Com
plaint Under New Law.

,rba Bosrd Of Trade and Commuters
raae,,a Of New Brunswick, N j., claims
the honor of having filed with the Inter
state Commerce Commission, through its
attorneys Hugh NJ Hewson and William
T, Ransom, the first formal complaint
under the terms of the amendment 10 the
Interstate commerce law This complaint
is against the proposed increase IN comInu-
tation fares on the Pennsylvania Rallroao
The complaint of the Attorney General Oh
New Jersey against all the committing
roads in New Jersey, they say, was hleo
after theirs.
Mr. Ransom went to washington yesleF-
dav with the New Brunswick document
The commuters Of that town are playing
safe however. They have based their COM
rlaf1t on the strength Of the technlcallty
which won the delay for the Westchester
commuters along the New Haven road as
well as under the new law. There is some
doubt among lawyers whether the conFnis-
sion will be able TO demand the postpone
mont of Increases in rates filed before the
amendment was passed by Congress. The
rery Iav they say, says that the commits
eion shall have power to set aside any
rate that shall be fled until its fairness
can be inquired into.
The technicality however, which has TO
do with the proper posting Of the increased
rates in each station is operative under the
old law. The New Brunswick Commuters
hone 70 obtain the delay under one head or
the other.
Railroad men were 10th to discuss last
night the new turn IN the communication
controversy Some Of them said they had
not vet received copies Of the new law and
others that they had not had time to study
= carefully Burns D. Caldwell, vice-p presi-
dln1 If the Iackawanna, said he was con-
a-ean+ with its clauses but didn't care TO
discuss the situation. as he was going 10
washington last night TO attend hearing
on the Communication complaints set by the
commission for this afternoon al o'clock.
An Erie official pointed out that the COM
mission in a Pennsylvania case had refused
:. sa+ aside q rate complained of which
was lower than the legal passenger rate
- The state. Robert ". De Forest. gen
eral counsel for the Central Railroad OF
o-o.- Jersey, said that all the old Jersey
railroad companies had legal passenger
ra-es of three four and even five cents q
-. Incorporated in their charters. and
tLo+ tp almost no case in recent years had
-, charged as high as these rates.
rrnA Jersey Central distributed TO its COM
,+ars On the morning trains yesterday
,,..ia nan,phIets explaining the reasons for
-. rro4ac+ed increase in fares. II was
-, ~atlroad,s object, the pamphlet said. to
each branch OF the service self
supporting.
Nrbairrnan Stevens of the Public Service
y..-,r,fesion I'd District, told delegation
:, +b,rtv-fye Westchester commuters at
=. roorns of the Bar Association. in West
...b street. yesterday morning that the
.rr,tsstor, could pass upon the reason
Nt.,a,,ess Of rates only after they had been
at into effect After the conference with
- - commissioner the delegates organized
- -1,,as into the Westchester Commut-
LII ..e,,,a slecting James NJ. Reid. presi-
sanr Of the Mount Vernon Chamber Of
G'e-,u,srce Gel-s president: John P Faure. of
oo+...Ir, treasurer, and J. Prescott Gage,
= yonkers, secretary