The Sentinel=record., 1911-02-25
COMMISSION IS
 NOT WORRYING
FACT I HAT RATE DECISION WAS UNANIMOUS MAY PREVENT
 APPEAL.
Believed Railways May Go to New Court of Commerce With Entirely
 New Testimony.

Washington, D. C., Feb. 24.-Offi- of the Interstate Commerce Commis- sion, it is hardly necessary to say ob- served with keenest interest today re- suits of and comments upon the de- cision of the commission in the rail road rate cases. Some doubt was ex- pressed today by those in and about the commission who have been most familiar with these celebrated cases as the railroads taking any further action in the matter, such as appeal ing from the commissions ds1rsfon to the newly inaugurated court of com merce. The fact that the decision of the commission was unanimous in all the cases was believed to justify the opinion that the railroads would prefer perhaps to make a new appli- cation to the commission on a new record of testimony.
 There was disposition at the offices of the commission today to comment lon the flutcuations in the stock mar kets as indicating a misapprehension Of the scope and effect of the commits sion's decision. Special stress was laid on the fact that no reduction whatever in rates were ordered by the com- mission; that the rates in so-called official classification territory remain ed as they have been for more than twenty years.
 It was pointed out also that the railroad stocks affected most seriously by the announcement of the decisions were those of lines that in no respect could be affected practically by the de- cisions.
 1 None of the far western railroads, like the Southern Pacific, the Union Pacific, the Northern Pacific and the Great Northern was interested in ether than sentimental or sympa- lthetic way in the rate cases. Their rates were not touched by the cases decided
 One of the commissioners who would not be quoted by name, said;
 ''None of the lines west of the Mis- souri river could be affected material 1 lv by our action in either the eastern or western case Their rates and the rates of all the roads are just the same today as they were yesterday They are disturbed in neither their rates or their traffic. Yet we have the anomalous situation in Wall Street of these very roads suffering most from the slump in stock prices. Gu riously enough, Reading of all the eastern lines, appears to suffer most from the drop in prices, yet as com pared with many other eastern roads, If is doing a fine business
 The commissioner called attention to the heavy fall in the prices Of the Pacific roads, which apparently sus ltained heavier losses than some of the eastern lines yet he insisted they were not directly concerned In the Idecisicns and only very moderately concerned very indirectly
 No formal orders were issued by the commission in the cases decided. II was suggested that the proposed ad- vanced rates be annulled before March 10 and if they were not withdrawn by that time the commission would tissue an order putting the existing rates into effect for at least two years On such an order the railroads coulo anneal 10 the Commerce Court, but | was argued here today that II they were defeated in that court, they would be in worse position than no" heeause their would then have to re main in effect for two years, in com nlaince with the commissions order.
 The general expectation IS tna
 within the next few months the rall roads will ask for an increase Il
 freight rates.