The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-09
STRONG APPEAL
FOR EXPEDITION
Crisis Stares Country in the
Face in Present Rate
Cases.
ST0PPAGE OF RAILWAYS
MEANS COMMERCIAL LOSS
Congress, Railways, Shipper
and Public Asked to Facili-
tate Matters.

NEW YORK, June S.-The general ex-
ecutivc committee OF the Railway Bust
ness association which within its menu
bership represents $500 OO0. 900 OF in
vested capital and which speaks for Il
group of industries giving employment
OF 100000 working men and upon which
six million people depend for support.
addressed to Congress, to the railroads,
To the shippers and 10 the public as fol-
lows:
THE question whether the rail .oads
are entitled TO general advance In
freight rates is now before the public.
The merits of individual rates will come
before the Interstate Commerce commits
sion. During the period Of uncertainty
as to whether rates filed are reasonable
or otherwise there Will be a disturbance
Of industrial conditions. II is therefore
OF the greatest importance that the way
shall be cleared for tho speediest pos
sible decision by the commission. To
that end the Railway Business association
appeals:
Il. TO Congress-That the President
OF the United States having recommended
provision governing the power of the
Interstate Commerce commission over
freight rate changes, such provisions be
enacted forthwith TO go into effecc upon
It's passage BY this recommendation of
the president the powers and duties of
TO be greatly enlarged and in the present
emergency 1t IS agreed that the approval
of hundreds OF thousands OF freight rates
must be given by tho commission before
efTectuation.
ut is deemed proper therefore to urge
that serious consideration he given the
organization upon which the enormous;
demand for increased output Is to be
made Nothing could be more disastrous
TO the railroads and all the commerce
and industry OF our country than 10
stake all that is proposed TO DO staked
upon the commission, only TO fad that
with its organization, it cannot do the
work within reasonable time We urge
that such appropriation as may be found
commission to cope with the increased
duties.
Railways Must Help,
"2. TO the railways--That they facin-
tate the work OF the commission by hay-
Ing their schedules so arranged and The
reasons therefor so clearly set forth as
TO require the least possible time to COM
prehend their scope and bearing and that
the officials OF the railways acquaint tho
shippers moro fully with the reasons :or
freight advance. .c,.,. .,o,. ,o,,-
upon the railways precisely as they would
look upon any other concern for whose
solvency the men and not the govern
Germ must have an adequate revenue.
The present problem involves not merely
the amount which the railway shall re-
ccive for carrying consignment, but its
ability TO carry II at all. 1t embraced
not alone the transportation efficiency
but general prosperity. We suggest 10
the heads of freight paying enterprises
that they study this question at itrst
hand In the broadeSt way. BY so doing
they may conclude that an advance may
be FOR their own best interests.
Business Is Suffering.
~ To the public-That they frankly
concede TO the railways the necessity FOR
ADEQUATE revenue and await with pa
tienco and good nature the findings of
the commission as to the reasonableness
OF proposed rates.
The members of the Railway Business
association have but recently emerged
from n period OF closed shops idle men
and disastrous losses due TO cessation OF
railway purchases We contemplate "lth
grave anxiety the possibility of undue
restriction of railway revenues. Ours Is
not the plea OF special interest whose
prosperity we would purchase at the cN-
pense of the interests OF the general pup
lie II our product is not bought the
commerce OF the country cannot be eul-
cicntly carried if our men arc wholly or
party off the payroll the stoppage OF
their OUTLAWS communicates itself 20 mil
lions more who make or sell their neces-
stics.
AS the basis of our belief in tho ncccS-
sity of increased revenues for the rall-
roads We submit:
Either tho railroads stand alone among
all other business enterprises III thcl"
ability to meet universal increases IN
cost OF labor and material without ad-
sell or else an advance III rates Is ncccs-