The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-03
Eastern and Middle Western
Lines File Tariffs With
Increase of Rates
W|CKERSHAM WILL NOT
SAY WHAT He WILL DO
increases Proposed BY Eastern Roads
Are Not as Large as Those of the
West-shippers Aroused In
Every Direction

Washington, June 2.-Undaunted by
the governments proceedings under the
Sh erman antitrust act, by which part
of the proposed increase of freight rates
in the territory west of the Mississippi
river was suspended by Injunction, rail-
roads in the east and in the middle
west today filed with the Interstate
commerce commission tariffs embody-
ing increased rates.
Attorney General Wickersham de-
clines to indicate what course he will
pursue in behalf of the government.
The Senate, just on the verge today of
passing the administration rate bill,
Iesitated and finally postponed action
until another day.
Tonight practically every railroad
system in the north from the Atlantic
to the Pacific has fled with the in
terstate commerce commission the legal
notification of proposed increases in
commodity rates. The increases filed
today range from three to thirty-one
per cent.
The day started off by the fling of
schedules of increases by the New York
ware. Lackawanna and Western. Then
the official proposal of the railroads
traversing the territory from Chicago
and Milwaukee to indianapolis and
Ohio river points, % in all, was brough.
into the commission. During the after
noon increased tariffs from the Atlantic
seal board to Chicago, st. Paul and in
termedlate points were filed. The latter
tariffs included those from the Pennsyl-.
vania. the Baltimore and Ohio, the
New York. New Haven and Hartford,
the Boston and Maine. the Erie; the
| Delaware and Hudson, the Lehish vai-
| ley. the New Jersey Central. the New
| York. Ontario and Western and the
Philadelphia and Reading.
Revised Tariff Filed
The Baltimore and Ohio also filed
with the commission a revised tariff of
commodity rates from Chicago to the
eastern seaboard.
Like the revised schedules fled by
the railroads west of the Mississippi
the increased tariffs from the Central
Freight association territory were fled
in concert. C. e. Fulton of Chicago,
representing the railroads traversing
the field from the Ohio river to Chicago
and Milwaukee, filed all the tariffs. on
the other hand, the western roads filed
their revised tariffs individuality
The increases proposed by the roads In
the middle west range from to 81 per
cent. Those from the seaboard to the
west vary from to 20 per cent. The
Baltimore and Ohio's increase in rates
from Chicago to the seaboard average
about 10 per cent. These increases were
figured approximately, the employees in
the commission being deluged with tar
IFS, and unable to arrive at definite COM
parisons. The time set for the tariffs to
go into effect on the eastern roads was
generally July 5. On the roads in the
middle west July l was the date fixed.
Before the revised tariffs began to pour
into the offices of the commission Attor-
ney General Wickersham was receiving
kilograms from western shippers, asking
him to take action to have the injunction
issued by the federal court In Missouri
extended to other commodities. especial
ly wool.
Representations were made that it was
now too late. 1t is explained that the
government included in the bill such rates
as had been called to it's attention, and
that the failure of other rates to be in
cluded must be laid at the door of the
shippers.
Action Is Postponed
AS to the course of the government in
regard to the railroads in the east and
middle west, the Attorney General was
not ready to talk. Immediate action is
not necessary. inasmuch as the rates are
not to go into effect for month.
Mr.. Wickersham said no complaints had
as yet been received by him from ship
pers in the east or middle west. Fur
thermore, he pointed out that conditions
under which the roads in the east and
middle west had filed their rates might
be entirely different from those govern
ing the action of the Western Traffic
association.
There was a feeling among officials
OF the commission that more tariffs would
be filed within the next few days, max
ing the increase general throughout the
country on shipments both ways. The
Attorney General may wait Tor these de-
velopments before determining his cours
OF action.
II is believed the railroads will lose no
time in iling any other tariffs, on account
of the probability of the expected early
passage of the administration rate bill.
The bill In its present form gives the
Interstate commerce commission the
power to investigate the reasonableness
of proposed increases in rates and to sus-
pend their going into operation as long
as IN months. Unless the roads have put
their new rates into operation by the
time tire bill becomes law, the inter-
s.ate commerce commission might sus-
pend Their operation for the purpose of
investigation. In this way the same re-
suit might be accomplished as Is sought
In tho legal proceedings by the depart
mert of Justice against the roads west
of the Mississippi.
Railroad Omcials at Sea
Chicago, June 2.-Presidents, traffic
managers and lawyers representing eight
big railroad systems centering in Chicago
found themselves considerably at sea as
to tic real politico rate situation when
they met today In the office of President
Ripley of the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe.
So little of definite nature was known
by fhs conferees as To what specific rates