Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-07-13
COMMUTERS MAY
HEAR R. R. RATE
FIAT TOMORROW
Chairman Martin A. Knapp, Of
Interstate Commerce Com
mission, So Announces.
DELAY POSSIBLE, OWING
TO CARE TAKEN IN PROBE
Pres. S0mmer, of Utilities Board,
Says Statisfician Is AnaIyz-
ing Railroads Figures.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. July H.
Chairman Martin A. Knapp. Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission. said
this afternoon that a decision NAV he
given tomorrow in the fight of the New
Jersey commuters against the Dela-
ware, Lackawanna and Western and
other railroads which propose to raise
their communication rates July 20 unless
the commission suspend the new lists
However. Mr.. Knapp said the decision
might be postponed for several days
1t is understood that the members of
the commission are going into the aues-
tion deeply and are determined that the
people Of New Jersey who are SO vitality
interested in the question are given al
the protection which the laws throw
about them In their transactions with
the common carriers doing business in
their State
Returning from Washington today
the New Jersey representatives. official
and otherwise. who argued for the COM
muters In their fight against the rail-
road Increases of communication rates.
expressed the opinion that they i'm
pressed the members of the Interstate
Commerce Commission SO strongly
with fact and law that there Is stfll
hope for forcible decision The Fed
/ 1ff7io eli
suspend for 12o days the rates which
are scheduled to go into effect July 20,
is in doubt as to fits Jurisdiction over
special tariffs, more comonly known as
Communication rates. but promises to
decide the question before next
/ Wednesday. when the railroads propcss,
to put their increases into operation.
Frank Fl. Sommer. president of the
Public Utilities Commission. explained
that the State had engaged an expert
statistician to analyze the figures pre-
sented to his commission by the rail-
roads. Mr.. Sommer said he hoped that
the Federal Commission would suspend
the rates pending this experts report.
which would Immediately be submit
ted to the commission Neither would
Mr.. Sommer predict what decision the
Interstate Commerce Commission
might render as to its Jurisdiction
The State commission is investigating
the intrastate rates, and its findings
may be of much value to the Interstate
/ inquiry.
The commrters unwilling to give up
the battle. have more hopes than the
State officials. Terry Parker, counsel
for the Commuters League Of New
Jersey. who made strong appeal for
the suspension of the rates, said that
he believed that the arguments of the
railroads in support of their increases
were SO weak and the commuters side
Of the case so formidable that the
Federal body was certain to give the
subject very careful considerations
Representatives Of the New Brunswick
Board Of Trade were equally sanguins
of results
sTf the Interstate Commerce Commfs-
sion,- said Mr.. Parker, ssorders the sus-
pension of the rates, nm firmly con-
WINGED that the commuters viii be able
to produce evidence enough showing
the unreasonableness of the proposed
Increases 10 win the fzght. cannot be-
lieve that the Federal commissioa Will
do anything except to give MS a chance
to present our entire ease.w
| Mr.. Parker's argument, as presented
to the national commission, fo1lowss
| We contend that the word Communication
| In section q of the act had uMiteu
meaning and that the Communication ficxef
referred to In section p. together with
mileage and other exceptions therein sx-
pressed, were excepted in the lan9128o
OF that section from the scope OF snsslan- an
10 of the act, in order that a cary1ar
might not be accused of unjust d1sc<zni-
nation in rates under sections 2, J ana
10 in case the carrier should wtsh to
make special rates for the cases unen-
toned in section q Because such ape
course than the regular singiexfnre rate
and unless such an exception were made
the Communication rate would come square
and io-section 10 being q penal stsfuts
branding discrimination as g mfsdemea-
nor and providing a punishment for It
1t was never intended to and section, q
did not affect the question OF the 5uz1s~
diction of the commissioners nor th01acore
OF their authority
A railroad is just as much under <<sa
the supervision of the Interstate Com-
merce Commission In the conduct uf ftz
wholesale communication business as Z ia
part Of Its business. and such ratea are
strictly within the control Of the cam
mission. In regard to thees tickets Il ts
filed in regard to the mileage tickets AZ
in the case Of the regular fares, and
all the provisions of section 6 relating to
Joint rates" etc, shall be observed By
the common carriers and enforced by the
commission as fully in ~czard to guch
joint interchangeable mileage tickets" as
in the case Of other fares. And fha Sec
ton goes on to provide that Il shall ba
unlawful to issue such tickets unless reE1-
larly authorized. These rates are whole
sale fares in their nature and arc to be
considered in the same manner that
freight rates covering certain ciasa Of
goods are considered by the commfsslon>
and it is just as likely that the railroad
would be guilty Of making an unfair
charge fer these rates, CONSIDERING their
nature as in any other class OF traffic,
and that. too, without involving at all
the question OF the usual 2-ceut n1Ils
rate for single passenger fare trnff1H
The rate under the conditions i peculiar