The Sentinel=record., 1911-02-24
DECISION IN
 FREIGHT RATE
COMMISSION DECIDES AGAINST THE PROPOSED s27 100000
 INCREASE.
Railways Lose Case in Both Eastern and Western Schedules, Which Must Be Cancelled by
 March 10.

Washington, Feb. 23-The Inter. state Commerce Commission has de- cided against the railroads in the Eastern and Western cases. The de- cision, eagerly awaited by roads and shippers alike, was handed down late this afternoon.
 Proposed advances in cless freight rates in official classification terri tory, aggregating among all the rail ways in the territory approximately s27,000.000 year, were disapproyed by the commission.
 In the case involving the increases by the railroads in western trunk line territory, the commission also de- cllned to approve the proposed ad- yances in commodity rates. The car riers in both cases are required to can eel on or before March 10 their ad- yanced tariffs and restore their former rates, which are the rates now in ef- feet. If this requirement be not com piled with, the commission will issue formal order suspending the pro- posed advances and putting into effect the existing rates for at least two years.
 In the case of the railroad commis- sion of Texas against the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and other carriers, known popularly as the Southwestern Rate Case, the commis sion declined to disturb the commod- fly rates or the firstclass rates com plained of. The defendants are or dered, however, to reduce the second class rates, which were increased from $121 to SIPS. to s125. On the re- maining classes the defendants are re' quired to extend the rates in effect before the increased rates were pub lished.
 In brief, this is the disposition made by the Interstate Commerce Commission of the most important cases ever brought to it's attention. In sense the decisions were in the na- ture of a surprise to railroad officials and other experts who had followed closely the proceedings, majority of whom believed the commission would grant some increase to the west ern lines if not the eastern.
 In considering exhaustively the sub feet, however, the commission could not see its way clear to grant any in- crease in rates, although it conceded in the case of some roads an increased revenue is needed. In what is known as the eastern cases, the commission was embarrassed by the admitted fact that several of the lines in the terri tory were paying good dividends on existing rates, while other carriers in the same territory were barely able to make both ends meet-a few oi them scarcely that,
  entered powerful plea for increased revenue in order that they might have additional money to put into improve ments and betterments which would enable them to handle with greater ia cilities the constantly increasing traf- fic of the country.
 The same argument was advanced In support of the proposed advances In official classification territory, but Commissioner Prouty, who wrote the opinion in the Eastern case, says:
 This argument does not appeal to us. We doubt the practical difficulty suggested Chat of obtaining by loan sufficient money to finance the roads) and. were it true. it is not apparent that the general public should stani responsible for the mistakes whlcn have been made in financing these raii- road systems"
 Beth the Eastern and Western cases WY t1Vh6ht tO RubiAS
 the spring of 1910. Just prior to the enactment of the existing interstate commerce law, which in part became effective on June IS, 1910. the rah- ways of official classification territory
 fl in all--and those of western trunk line association territory hieu with the Interstate Commerce Com mission tariffs making general ih- crease in their freight rates.
 The tariffs filed by the eastern Ines Increased the first class rate between New York and Chicago points 10 cents hundred pounds--from 75 cents U % cents.
 The proposed advance affects az