Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-07-13
And Their Relations to
People and Railroads
To Be Looked Into by Inter-
state Commerce Commission.
Jurisdiction Being Decided, the
Rates viii b Lower.

Washington, July 12.-The considcra-
ton involving the interests of 25O,OOO
people and practically all the railway
lines operating out of New York City.
is to he taken up by the Interstate
Commerce Commission today. In con-
crete form, this question is whether the
commission has jurisdiction over com
utation passenger rates Of the lines. not
only in New York City and vicinity,
tut all throughout the country.
t is a question with the commission
whether it has, under the law and jur-
isdiction over communication rates,
which are considerably less than the
recognized and legal one fare rate. All
of the railroads interested will be rep
resented by counsel and New Jersey by
Attorney General Wilson of that state.
Varions organizations of the state of
New Jersey also will have representa-
tives present.
At the opening of the hearing Chair
insn Knapp announced that the ques-
ton Immediately at issue was the sus-
pension of the Communication rates. On
that point the commission desired, he
sid, to hear from the railroads their
reason for making the proposed ad-
vance.
George F. Brownell general counsel
for the Erie Railroad. said:
"The communication business is not
profitable and does not pay its fail
share of the conducting the company s
business: the current expense of con-
Quoting the business has increased
largely; immense sums have been ex-
pended in improvements. many OF
hich have heen demanded by the
commutor and the present rates are un-
duly low as compared with conmuta-
ton rates in other parts of the country
President Truesdale of the Delaware
Lachawanna & Western said the pei
capita cost of handling Communication
traffic had materially increased since
the rates were put on years ago.
George A. Cullen, general passenger
agent Of the Lackawanna Road. pre-
seited a table showing that in tine in
crease of the cost of labor during the
last year was So per cent.
Weather generally favorable for har-
vesting and vegetable growth prevailed
last week in the great corn and winter
wheat growing states, according to the
national weekly weather bulletin issued
today by the weather bureau.
Developments in the mediation Of the
United States, Argentine Republic and
Brazil in the boundary dispute between
Peru and Ecuador are expected here
Senior Rafael NJ. Arizagal today resent
ed a copy of his letter of credence as
minister of Ecuador to this government
Charge Dilima of the Brazilian and
Charge Villas of the Argentine legation
as well as the Ecuadorian Minister Pardo
are coming back to Washington for their
summer vacations.
Details of a plan of the Japanese gov
ernment for conducting colonial depart
ment in Toxic embracing jurisdiction over
Formosa, Saghalien and Korea, patterned
after the insular affairs bureau of this
government, have reached the state de-
partment
The total value of the foreign commerce
of the United States during the fiscal
year of 1910. which ended on June 30, was
So. 3O2. S21 .O67. according to completed re-
turns made public by the bureau of sta
tistics of the department of commerce
and labor today