Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-02
If United States Keeps
Rates Down They Are
Done For.
TALK AFTER MEETING
Companies Banding Together
to Make Determined Fight
in the Courts.

Chicago, June 2.-Presidents and
traffic managers of railroads centerinq
In Chicago held secret meeting today
to discuss the defense in the rate In
junction case. Attorneys for the roads
will meet tomorrow. Railroad officials
declare the success of the attempt to
prevent the rate increase spells ruin
for the roads.
No Action on Eastern Roads.
Washington, June 2-Attorney Gen
eral Wickersham himself said this af-
ternoon he had not given any thought
to the question of whether the govern
ment should take action looking to in
junction proceedings against the east
ern railroads which have filed in
creased tariff rates with the interstate
commerce commission.
Western Lines File Schedule.
Washington, June 2. Revised
freight rates were filed today with the
interstate commerce commission by
the western trunk lines. While the
class rates do not seems to be affected,
particularly. there is some advance in
the commodity rates
Boost Rates 1O1k Per Cent.
Washington, June Advances in
commodity freight rates averaging ap-
proximately 1013 per cent have been
made in the territory from Chicago
and Milwaukee to Indianapolis and
Ohio river points
Eastern Roads Ignore Fight.
Chicago, June 2.-Ignoring the ac-
ton of the government in securing an
order of court restraining Increased
freight rates, the eastern railroads yes
terday filed with the interstate COM
merCe commission at Washington
tariffs of increased commodity rates
to take effect July l.
Hearing of the unexpected action
of the eastern roads, the shippers,
represented by the Illinois Manufac-
turers' association, took Immediate
steps to insure action by the govern
ment similar Is that taken with re-
spect to the western increased rates. |
J. NJ Glenn, secretary of the associa-
ton, issued a circular similar to the
one issued by his association in the
western cases and sent copies of it
to all congressman and senators and
to the attorney general and to the !
president. The members of the asso-
citation expect that the result will be /
bill filed in one of the eastern cities |
to restrain the eastern roads from put |
ting the new rates in effect upon the |
ground that they are Illegal. being |
made in violation of the Sherman /
antitrust act.
PIan General Increase.
The increases thus far provided for |
Il
ing as those contemplated by the |
western roads. No class rates are ef-
fected and not more than so per cent. |
possibly only 40 per cent, of the COM
modify rates are involved. 1t is rough
ly estimated that between 100 and 125
commodities are contained in the new
tariffs and that probably between 60 .
and 20 rates are increased, while none
is lowered and many are left un-
changed Although no official state
ment was made to this effect, it is un-
derstood that the filing of the new
commodity tariffs will be followed
soon by new tariffs increasing the
class rates The increases will be i'm
posed upon all shipments in the terri
tory between the Mississippi river and
the Atlantic seaboard and north of the
Ohio river to the Canadian border.
Means to 10 Per Cent.
1t is stated that approximately so
per cent of the business in the vast
territory over which the increases will
pertain is done on commodity rates.
The increases on the commodity rates
will average full per cent. If not 10
per cent. Figured upon this basis,
that is upon 60 per cent of the COM
modify rates being changed, the rail-
roads in the east should enjoy an in
crease of between and 4 per cent in
their revenues derived from all bust
ness. both commodity and class.
Some Items Escaped.
Washington, June 2.-The rates of
the Western Trunk Line association.
prevented from becoming effective at
midnight Tuesday night by the tenn
porary injunction granted by the
United States circuit court at Hanni-
bal. Mo, constitute only part of the
advances made by the Western Trunk
Line association.
The injunction applies only TO tariff
A-155, mentioned in the bill filed by
representatives of the department of
justice The tariffs filed practically
simultaneously with the interstate
Continued oD Page Eight.)