The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-24
WillAppeal to New Commerce
Court and Fight for
Time
ADVERSE DECISION
MEANS YEARLY LOSS
OF SOME $4,000, 900
Decision of Interstate Com
merce Commission Adverse
to the Railroads, of Both
the West and East

Chairman Judson G. Clements. OF
the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, following the announce
ment here of the action of the
stock markets. wrote out and an
thorized publication Of the fol-
lowing:
Chairman Clements, of this
Interstate Commerce Commits
Sion, sand THAI no reductions In
rates have been ordered In the
Eastern and Western advanced
rate cases.
The commission simply stop
ped certain proposed advances.
These decisions do not reduce REV
enues OF carriers to the amount
OF one cent"
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2s.--"Fight'
was the watohword of railroad repre-
sentatives here to-day. following their
crushing defeat in the great rale bat
tie at the hands of the Interstate
Commerce Commission yesterday
They will fight, they declared. as
long as there is possibility OF APP
peal.
they hope that the. decision of the
creasing rates ON single commodity
VIII be reversed by Il higher body
but at the least, they said. they Will
invoke the law with such effect thai
rate reductions will be postponed per-
haps for several years.
Apply to New Court.
The first move probably will bs
taken within the next few days, when
the railroads Will apply to the ne~
commerce court for an Injunction
multiplying the decisions. This appeal
will unquestionably he made befors
March 10, when the commission de-
clared. that unless new and Lover
schedules have heen filed. il viii fis
rates for two years.
Whether the commerce court VIII
grant the Injunction practically tytns
The hands of the commission. La q
question on which authorities radically
differ.
'lf the commerce court fails us,
declared the railroad grtorneys& we
will carry the case TO the supreme
court OF the United States. There
We Will apply for an Injunction against
The commission. or the court OF COM
merce. or both. We will produce evil
dence to prove that these rate In
creases are necessary in order &c
enable us to conduct our business
properly"
May Mean Long Delay. ,-=.
Government officials familiar with
legal procedure said to-day that the
legal obstacles which attorneys for the
carriers can put in the way OF the
effectiveness OF the decisions may de-
lay them indefinitely. Alleged trusts
they said. have held up Anal action by
the. courts ter six And sesea yea-s,
Lose In Both Cases.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion decides against the railroads In
both the Eastern and the Western
cases. The decision, eagerly awaited
by roads and shippers alike. was
handed down late yesterday after
noon. Proposed advances in class
freight rates In official classification
territory, aggregating among all the
railways In the territory approximate.
ly So. o9o, 9o9" "a year, were disap-
proved by the commission. In the
case involving the increases by the
railroads In Western trunk line ter
ritory the commission also declined
to approve the proposed advances In
commodity rates.
quired to cancel on or before March
10 their advanced tariffs and restore
their former rates, which are the rates
now In effect. II this requirement be
not complied with, the commission
viii issue formal order suspending
the proposed advances and putting
into effect the existing rates for al
least two years.
Ordered to Reduce Rates.
In the case of the railroad commits.
sion OF Texas against the Atchison
Topeka, and Sante Fee Railway an6
other carriers. known popularity as the
Southwestern rate case, the commits
sion declined to disturb the commodit,
rates or the first class rates com.
planned OF. The defendants are order
ed. however. to reduce the second.
class rates. which were increased from
$1.21 to $1.cs, to $1.25. On the re.
manning classes the defendants are re.
Quired to restore the rates in efrec,
before the increased rates were pub
lished.
The decisions were In the nature oil
a surprise to railroad officials and
other experts who had followed close
ly the .proceedings. a majority OF
whom believed the commission would