The Washington times., 1912-04-15
SHIPPERS PETITION
AGAINST INCREASES
IN FREIGHT RATES
Attention of Interstate Com
merce Commission Is Call
ed to Action Of Railroads.

The fling before the Interstate Com
mission of petition and statement
in behalf of shippers In what is known
as Western classification territory has
served TO bring prominently into
public notice an effort of the railroads
to effect heavy increases in freight
rates over territory comprising
about half of the United States.
The fling of the petition is for the
purpose of preventing these increases
In freights which are by far the
most important which have been at
tempted by the railroads in this
country since the attempt to make a
general rate increase was blocked
by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, about two years ago.
1t is patent fact that the railroads,
blocked In the effort to make heavy
general increase of rates directly, are
trying TO- do the, same thing ptecemeal
and by indirection. One method chosen
has been to file with the Interstate
Commerce Commission q new classifica-
ton Of freights, known as western
classification, No. 81. II the commission
permits this to. go into effect, the rail-
roads will make, under the guise of
changes in classification of freights,
increases in rates on hundreds of ar
ucles of the most common use.
Many Articles Affected.
In fact, It will increase rates on no
less than 400 articles. Rates will be
affected and increased on every ship
ment of any Importance from every
town in every State between the Mis-
sissippi river and the Pacific coast.
In reality the territory affected is
larger than this, and comprises all that
part Of the United States between Chi
cago and the Pacific coast Indirectly,
of course, the proposed increases would
affect the whole country.
The proposed increases, made under
the guise of changes in classification,
are on articles that range all the way
: from almanacs and palm leaf fans to
threshing machines and from bath tubs
to watermelons. A multitude Of articles
In everyday use everywhere are AFFECT
ed. The increases range from 10 per
cent to 300 per cent.
The railroad and public service COM
GisSns Of tas States 1no tfesa fo%s
Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska. Nevada, North Dakota, Okla
homa, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas 8,
Washington, and Wisconsin, eighteen in
number, have united in protest to the
Interstate Commerce Commission
against the increases proposed in the
new classification.
sion gives ear to the wishes of the State
Commissions, back of whom stand The
shippers and the general public, it will
allow only such parts Of the new clas-
crease rates. and, SO far as the in
creases are - concerned, will demand
proof from the roads that tae increases
are necessary.
Reduce Some Rates.
Tt Is admitted by the State commits
sions that the railroads, in making up
the new classification, have reduced
some rates, while advancing others. But
1t is insisted the advances are far in ex-
cess of the reductions. Moreover. the
State Commissions, representing the
shippers and the public. feel that the
new classification has been made up by
a few railroad men, meeting together
Nm a room, and allowing the pubic no
adequate chance to present its side. It
ts strongly urged by the State commits
sions In this connection that the only
authority that Is competent to make a
new classification Is the Federal Govern
ment, the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, and that the Interstate Com
merce Commission should be clothed
with power to make a uniform classn-
cation of freights covering the entire
country. This is provided for in a bill
which has been introduced in the Senate
by Senator, Kenyon OF Iowa.
In the course of their petition, the
State commission says:
The plain intent to work a sub
stantial advance in revenues, under
the plea Of securing uniformity, is evil
dent on the face OF the changes pro-
posed hy--t the carriers The reductions
are not substantially the same, either
in number or in amount or in the traffic
affected The number of reductions
proposed by the carriers exceed the
number of reductions proposed on car
load ratings 63 per cent. and the num-
ber of advances in less than carload
ratings exceed the reductions 80 per
cent. These differences alone, even II
the traffic affected by the changed
rates was substantially the same in
volume, when applied to several hun
dred different articles moving between
all points in two-thirds of the nation.
would mean increased revenue to the
carriers aggregating large sums"