The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-02

1mpOItd1t6 6VeI GlHdHdtlng
From Be Advance Or
.dered Is Only an En-
tering Wedge.
ton OF evidence In the rate hearing be.
fore the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion was concluded this afternoon,
i ,|Arguments on the evidence Will be
Iheard by the commission at Washing
ton on December r. Ii, and after due de-
lliberation, the commission Will an.
lnounce what Is generally considered
will be the most important decision
lever enlanat ting from 1t.
The hearing was Instituted at the in.
(stance@ OF shippers who arose In pro-
ltest when Western railroads announced
1. that rates on fifty different commodi-
ities would be advanced. opposition to
Ithis became general, and the raiiroads
| agreed not ~ put sthefnew rates into e1-
feet until the Interstate Commerce
| fCommission had conducted hearing
al (which the shippers should be heard
as TO the fairness OF the proposed ad.
lsvances.
The hearings were held at Chicago
| and New York, conducted al first by an
examiner, but later owing to the para
mount Importance Of the case, Com
missioners Clark and Lane assumed the
duty II took the shippers only few
hours to Introduce evidence, but an
Imposing mass OF statistics and testl.
mcny went into the record for the rail-
roads. The shippers were representeu
tby number of attorneys, who con-
fined their efforts largely to attacking
the railway evidence, rather than to
introducing original testimony for
themselves.
Railway men admitted that the ao-
vance In rates on the fifty commodities,
which formed the basis OF tile hearing,
was merely an entering wedge. the
ultimate purpose being to advance
rates all along the line. ACCORDING to
the shippers. the final effect of this
policy would be to place a tax OF $780,
eevU00 on the consumer. a:
ReasSns Given By Roads.
In general way the argument pre-
ssented By the railroads was that In
creased s;rat tcssss were neSessarysstor. the
sfollowtns s reasons: II i.
4. Increased wages to employees.
2. Increased cost Of maintenance ana
operation. "a
3. Public demand for Increased en-
ilciency. and expansion Of transpor:a-
ltton facilities. n
The position taken by the shippers
was that the railroads are at present
receiving a fairEreturns on their invest
ment, and among other things sought;
TO show, on ton, that
the low rate OF earning shown IN the.
statistics WAS due more ktogoyercapltal-,
iization than to lowsratcs.
During the examination To-Day OF,
Stanley H. Johnson, assistant freight
traffic manager OF the Rock Island
tioad, Commissioner Lane asked some
pointed questions.
Il have found in my experience,s he
said. that railroads find very little.
5difticulty in raising rates thou t much
justification, and at any time that they
may see fit. Ifthere We're no restraint
placed on the railroads. could lot the
roads advance the rates without end?
Only Fair Proat. 3ssS8
"Of; course. II the railroads were
utterly Indifferent to public i opinion
and were not a body Of fair-ninded
men. the rates might be raised end =
Elessly. but this would not be done, as
the roads only ask a fair profit Z" re-
piled Mr.. Johnson. Il ;.35s
rs It not fact?e asked Commits
Esioner Lane. "that deep down IN the
mind of the traffic manager he knows
that even the present rate Is 4 too
Shigh?"
This brought laugh from the
crowd during which the witness re-
piled In the egative.
# Mr.. j Johnson admitted that no gen.
seral advances in rates We're made BY
the railroads without agreement with
theirscompetitors a s III ss
#58.If! they did," he add led. "a t would
mean going out of business. IS