The sun., 1910-06-03
GENERAL BOOSTING OF RATES
answer OF THE RAILROADS To
GOVERNMENT INJUNCTION.
Forp SS FiftS Eastern and Central frunh
Lines Jo'n In InereasIng Freight
Rates and Pile schedules Of Advances
Ranging From . to 10 Per CeRi.

WAsHINGroS. June 2.-The threatening
attitude Of the Government toward rail-
road rate making through trunk line
committees and associations has not de-
TERED the big railroads Of the country
from their determination 20 inCreass
freight tariffs Practically every one q
the Eastern trunk lines has filed w'h th"
Interstate Commerce Comm,ssior sohsd-
uls OF advances ranging from 3to 20 per
cent. and covering both cast and west
bound commodity freight between New
York and Chicago Similar increases
have been filed boy the Chicago and Ohio
river committee. which includes twenty
four big railroads operating chiefly IN
Ohio and Indiana
Most of these increases were He'd vi
the Interstate Commerce Commission TO
day. The commission u buried up 10 iis
eyes in the food of increases and admits
il can tell nothing definite about the si'u-
alton AZ present except that there r,s
been general boosting Of ra,es Ins
employees of the commission no soorer
got one schedule opened and fled awdy
to-day than another bObbed up. and he-
fore the closing hour had come the clerks
were peerinE over the stacks of sclgd-
ules and thousands and thousands q
increases bewildered and helpless Il
seemed rather an impressive answer on
the part Of the railroads of the coun ~
TO the Governments Injunction and dis
solution proceedings against the Western
Trunk Line Committee
The railroads that filed increased tar
iTs to-day embraced practically all q
the lines east Of Chicago. Al told forty
or fry railroads joined to-day in tho
general upward movement Of freight
rates.
The roads represented on the Chicago
and Ohio River COMMITTEES operate In
the territory west % Buffalo. PittsburE
and wheeling. north Of the Ohio River
and east Of the Mississippi RiveI The
increases filed by the Western Trunk
Line COMMITTEES. which have been held
up by the Attorney Generals Injunction
proceedings. apply 20 the territory west
of the Mississippi River Thus with the
Eastern trunk lines added. the railroads
Of the entire country. with the exception
Of those of the Southeast and Southwest,
have joined in the recent advances About
a year ago railroads IN the Southeast and
Southwest Also raised their freight rates,
90 that Il may he said now that the pro-
pused increases have been distributed
over practically the entire United States.
No one in Washington attempts 70
estimate the money value ~ the increased
rates. but Il will run into the hundreds
Of millions of dollars shippers from
the middle West have contended that the
Increase levied uDon them would yield
the railroads az least an additional SzSo,-
on ON year
Il - impossible t1 say az this time just
what will boz the Attorney Generals
attitude toward these new increases.
II % j. the purpose of the Administration
10 begin an indiscriminate war against
al corporations between the railroads
m the matter - rate making the Att1r-
ney General undoubtedly will he obliged
sJ prOcs,-i both against the Eastern trunk
lines and the railroads represented by
he Chicago and Ohio River COMMITTEES.
II Is doubtful however. II the Administ-a-
ION has any intention u running amuck
% the matter ~ bringing the sherman
tnti-trIst law - bear on all increases
II rates among groups of carriers
II has been a matter u common knowl-
edge for years that the railroads have con-
suited with each other in the matter II
iXlng rates. and President Taft and the
Attorney General not only have de-
clarcd that such understanding were
necessary, but recommended Ia the
present Congress that they he leEalizsd
IN the Administration railroad hill Pregi-
dent Taft only a'iew weeks ago said. IN
speaking 81 pooling agreements. that no
one suggests the wisdom of institutinR
prosecutions under the antitrust Law 70
prevent this traffic
The President and the .Genaral
decided 10 begin Injunction and dissolu-
ton proceedings against the Western
Trunk Lane COMMITTEES because they he-
lieved ~ action was too hagrant 70
come even within the tolerance and liberal
views ~ the Administration. The evi-
dsnce showed that the presidents of the
twenty railroads had taken the natter
of rats fixing out Of their regular tFalso
managers hands had met and by a formal
vote had adopted the rates and then had
authorized an agent 10 file them with tho
Interstate Commerce Commission. Ac-
oording TO the views Of the Department of
Justice that action was 20 plainly a viola
ton ~ the Sherman antitrust law that
II could not be tolerated
The case Of the Chicago and Ohio River
COMMITTEES. which to-day fled rates rcp-
rssentinG twenty-four railroads. presents
soms features Similar 20 that Of the Vest
ern Trunk Lane COMMITTEES. The rail-
roads operating under the Western
, Trunk Line Committee Al n their rates
with the Interstate COmneros Commiss
sion through a single individual. who had
a power q attorney from each of the
roads. The same 10 true Of the tWsnty-
four roads comprising the Chicago and
Ohio River COMMITTEES.
e NJ Fulton H. the representative NJ that
COMMITTEES who placed the new tariffs on
nle In WaahinRton. 10 h Eianerfpd that