Evening journal., 1910-06-04
FIGHT ABOUT
FREIGHT RATES
Great Clash on Between the
Railroads and the
Government
COMMUTERS PROTESTING
AGAINST HIGHER FARES

BY United Press Leased Special Wire.
NEW YORK, June 4-The fight for
and against the increased freight rates
by the railroads of the country Is
rapidly taking on titantic proportions.
on the side of the railroads are be-
ing lined up the manufacturers of rail-
way materials, equipment and supplies,
and through them every person who
draws a benefit from the sale or manu-
facture of materials used by the rail-
roads and all merchants who profit
from the wage earners OF those so en-
ployed.
on the other side are the manufac-
turers farmers and shippers generally.'
Injected into the fight are the thous-
ands of commuters who are enraged
| by the announcement that all COM
mutation rates are to be increased 10
''meet the increased pay rolls of tho
railroads.
The commuters first wanted to know
4 why they were to stand the burden
Of the wage increases. Then came
the announcement that freight rates
wre going up for the same reason and
the commuters have joined hands with
l the shippers to aid the attorney gen
eral in his fight to keep rates down.
The inevitable result is a conflict
that will interest every man. woman
and child i'm the United States. So far
the railroads have the worse Of the
struggle inasmuch as the increase Of
freight rates in the west has been en-
Joined in the Federal Circuit Court
and the eastern roads will probably be
kept, temporarily at least, from rais-
ing theirs.
tI.-
, win be required to make the people
see the necessity for higher rates is
shown by a call for a conferences Of the
general executive COMMITTEES of the
Railway Business Association. That
organization win meet in the Hotel
Belmont on next Wednesday and will
consider plans for aiding the rail-
, roads. Composed as it is of. manu-
facturers Of railway equipment. ma
! terials and supplies. in twenty-fi five
states. il was brought into the fight
by the railroads who threatened 10
cancel all orders for new cars, anc
enignes and equipment of the very
D sort .
President Peorgc A. Post IN dfscnssfng
the situation. said that at the meeting 4
: strong appeal win be prepared to the pub
lie and federal officials to consider In a
broad way the necessities of the railroads
and avoid the calamitous blunder Of
! technical victories in litigation. which
may result in widespread Industrial and
] commercial distress.
II was intimated by persons Interested
in this association that pressure win be
, brought TO bear on President Taft OF such
a character that the Department OF JUS
tice viii be compelled to withdraw its
suit against the western railroads. AL
ready it is said. the influence of j. r.
Morgan & Company. eXerted through
George w. Perkins. has led the western
shippers to rescind much of their oppo-
sition to the increased rates. Perkins it
is declared by men familiar with the sit
uation here has pointed out to the ship
pers that they could pass any Increase on
to the consumer and that their business
would not be hurt by reasonable adj
vance in rates"
Meanwhile the various Chambers or
4 Commerce OF the cities forming the rim
Of the wheel seventy-five miles out from
New York are combining to tight the adj
vance to the commuters in the courts
This fight viii be fully as lively as the
freight rate fight and much more pictur-
esque. The railroads have robbed com
muting Of it's only charm by prohibiting
poker and bridge whist, but the commute
ers stood for that. However, when tile
company insisted on getting the money
= from the commuters which it saved them
by preventing gambling. the down trod-
den 'tripper' believes the time has come
to kick. In New Jersey Governor Fort
has been interested in the fight while in
New York the state Public Service COM
mission has taken up tho cudgel for the
commuters.