New-York tribune., 1910-06-29
ERIE, TOO, FALLS IN LINE.
Commerce Commissions Order
Leads 1t to Hold Up Increases.
NO CHANGE UNTIL JULY 20
Hearing at Albany To-day on
N. Y. Central and New Haven
Roads Advances.

The New Jersey committing railroads and
the Interstate Commerce Commission have
reached compromise agreement with re-
gard to the postponement of Communication
increases. The commission had asked the
roads to charge the present fares until
August to give it time to inquire into its
jurisdiction over Communication rates and
the fairness Of the increases. The rail-
roads have agreed, on the strength of the
request, to postpone the increases until
July 20.
On Sunday, however, the Erie began
charging its increased rates on the~New
York New Jersey and Susquehanna
roads. The commissions reply to this &C
ton was an immediate order, the first un-
der the amendment to the interstate COM
merce law, suspending the increase in these
fares until October 15 Thereupon the Erie
thought better of its plan and decided to
fall In with the other roads in agreeing
to suspend all it's Communication advances
until July 20. The commission will now
rescind it's order.
The roads which have complied with the
commissions request are the Pennsylvania,
the Central Railroad of New Jersey, the
Lehigh Valley, the Lackawanna, the Erie
and the West Shore. The Lackawanna
has included in the agreement the increases
projected in it's ten-trip, fifty-trip and
monthly tickets. But the advances made
in its one way fares and round trip tickets
have been put into effect, and have caused
some criticism. These advances are slight,
however, and only small percentage OF
the passengers travelling within the SUBJ
urban zone are affected by them.
Down in Trenton yesterday there was
considerable activity looking to some meth
Cd of bringing the railroads to time. The
Commuters League of New Jersey ad-
dressed a long communication. to Cover
nor Fort, setting forth the grievances of
the commuters and the seriousness of the
situation and asking that he call a
special session of the Legislature to deal
with the whole subject. Governor Fort
told the league that it would be useless for
its purposes to call a special session.
And while this was going on the New
Jersey State Board of Railroad Commits
sioners was discussing at its weekly meet
ing the merits of the complaint entered
by the Board of Trade of Passaic and sew
eral commuters associations against the
Erie. The new rates on the Susquehanna
were attacked on the ground that the act
of 1898 which permitted the merger of the
Erie and Susquehanna forbade the raising
of rates on the Susquehanna. Attorney Gen.
eral Wilson said that If, he believed.
this act We're still enforceable he would
apply to the Court of Chancery for an in
junction against the advance
". II. Corbin, counsel for the Erie.
argued that the act in question was not
now in force not having been renewed
after the first year, The board reserved
its decision.
With regard to the imminent increase in
Communication rates on the New York Cen
trail and New Haven roads in Westchester
the Public Service Commission, I'd District
will hold hearing in Albany tomorrow
afternoon at 2 o'clock. The recently formed
Westchester Commuters League will be
represented by its executive committee
consisting of ten members, and will try to
get as many towns as possible to send
delegates
Mayor Fiske of Mount Vernon, Mayor
Lennon of Yonkers and Mayor Colwell Of
New Rochelle are planning to be present
All this heavy artillery will urge upon the
commission that it obtain for Westches-
ter, through consideration of the techni-
calities on which the Westchester COM
plants are based, what the Interstate Com
merce Commission has been able to obtain
for New Jersey.