The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-06-03
MORE ROADS
PUSH UP RATES
--
Middle West and East Hit BY
Increases
NEW TARIFFS POUR IN
Upon Commerce commission-Raise Av-
erages from 10 to IS PEI cent.--The
Highest Charge Is Upon the
Product Of Tar Oil

Washington. June 8.-The eastern rails
roads have Joined the western IN the
rate-increase movement and The depart
ment Of justice win be called upon again
to institute suits to enioin the roads
from making the rates effective July 8.
II Is expected That between now and
June schedules Of increased rates Will
Be filed by an The roads in the East
Early yesterday morning, the new rates
began to pour into the Office Of the
Interstate commerce commission, regard
less Of the injunction proceedings already
begun against the roads in the Western
Trunk Line association The increases
are on commodity rates, The commis-
sion las not yet bad time to figure out
the percentage Of increase unoiicially
X was said to average between 10 20 Is
per cent, but the commission does not
verify these figures
Not only have the eastern roads start
ed TO shove up rates but the railroads in
Central Feight association territory have
taken like aetion AN the roads 0perat-
ing ia the territory between Chicago,
Cincinnati and Louisville and reaching ~
far as Milwaukee, twenty-five lines in
All, and the Hi steamship line, have
filed schedules increasing commodity
rates
The increases in the 0hio-Indiana ter
ritory are on wide range Of commod-
tiles The freight traffic officials Of the
interstate commerce commission have
not made comparisons Of an Of them
but they range 50 far AZ compared, from
9 per cent. to 3 per cent
The highest increase is on tar oil,
amounting to 81 per cent The rates
were filed with the commission Wednes.
day but not made public until yesterday
They 10 into effect JULY Il like the
increased schedules filed hy the western
roads, which have been snioined, the
increased schedules Of the roads in the
OhloIndiana region have been hlod IN
concert That & 20 say, there is, ac-
cording % the commission reports, prima
faeie evidence Of a united action and
Of conspiracy IN restraint NJ trade
under the sherman law This means that
almost inevitably the department 81 JUS
tice win undertake TO enjoin the in
cresses. II Attorney General Wicker
sham takes action consistent with the
course he took in the case d the west
ern roads, be win look into the circum-
stances Of the action 81 the lines in
tho Ohi0-Indiana territory and viii doubt.
less seek to obtain preliminary iniinc.
ton. The fact that the roads have act
ed in concert win Be to their dsadvan-
tage Il is learned that shippers in tie
Ohio-Indiana regions are already stirred
up over the reports that the roads IN
that territory will increase rates
Lawyers are keeniy interested 10 know
what will be THE procedure 81 the attor-
ney general IN the eastern road cases
An winter the administration has been
trying 70 get through bin providing
for notice and hearing in injunction
cases. vet it IS pointed ont that Of the
FIRST opportunity the department. Of ius.
tice had 70 apply for an Injunction on
its own account The attorney general
conducted tile proceedings with the ut
most secrecy and Slipped his petitions
before The federal court at St Louis.
without giving the attorneys for the
railroads an mixing Of wnaf he was
about. Had his purpose been known,
the companies oi course would have
asked for heninR and this delay
might have proved embarrassing III The
legal lan9ies which are sere 70 result
from the present situation The techni.
cal question IS now raised BY lawyers
as to what the existing rate actually
is. Only the railroads have power under
the law to make rates, and 81 the for
mer ratios were superseded by tile new
ones III IS regarded az nertinent 10 in-
auire what the existing rates are N
the territory to which the iniunetions
apply
Attorney General Wickersham him
self said yesterday afternoon be had not
given any thought to The question ~
whether the govfrnment snonld take
action looking 10 Injunction proceedings
aGanst THE eastern railroads which have
fled increased thrift rates with tie inter
state commerce commission.