The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-21
THE SHIPPERS ARE: MAKING COMP P[A|NT Say Railroads Are Increas-
 ing Rates BELIEVED NEW MOVE sbippers Tell Washington Officials That Railroads Are Scheming to
 Get Around the Rulings
 of That Body
ny JONATHAN WINFIELD

|
 washington, May 20-(Special)- IRepresentatives of shippers who are coming to Washington these days to ltake up various matters before'the in lterstate commerce commission are Icomplaining that the railroads are making an effort to gradually increase rates all over the country, They In s.st that the railroads are in effect try ling to do by indirection what they were prevented from doing by the interstate lcommerce commission about two years ago when a general increase of rates
 was sought.
 At that time presidents of all the great railroad systems. of the entire Limited States were before the commits sion urging that that body adopt more Liberal plan of treating the roads. Great stress was laid on the fact that the lrailroad property of the country was lsuffering because of lack of support from the people In investing in rail road securities. Complaint was made that the bonds of railroads, designed for improvement purposes could not be disposed of either in this country or
  an attractive one.
 Notwithstanding ttis wall of the railroads, the commission finally re- fused to grant increases.
 The blanket increases which at that ltime were sought by the roads, stirred lup a wave of protest all over the coun- Itry. The interstate commerce commits sion considered the demands Of the lcarriers and after six months of care lful study came to the conclusion that lthe demands were not justified.
 It was held at the time by many of Ithe railroad men that they were go- ling about the matter in the wrong lfashion and that because of the in discreet attempt to shove the rates over lwide areas, affecting many lines Of in- loustries, the attempt would not sue cced
 Shippers believe now that the roads are taking more astute course to
 reach the same end. This Is to in lorease rates here and there and thus slowly lift the level of the whole rate fabric
 | A recent ruling of the interstate com merce commission on the attempt of lthe railroads through the middle west to increase sheep and cattle rates to the extent of 33 Is per cent has served
 
 commission sat down on the proposed Increase. They could not see that II was justified. The decision was reached Iafter one of the most exhaustive hear ings ever held by the commission. Cat tie and sheep raisers s well as rep lresentatives of numerous commercial clubs and chambers of commerce throughout the cattle and sheep rais- ing country having been heard in op- lposition to the matter by the commits sion.
 It was declared by shippers, who fol- lowed the sheep and cattle rates close lly, that the action of the commission | in refusing to increase the rates was Important. not only because of the fact Ithat the new rates would have been lburdensome to stock interests, but be- lcause the ruling showed the commls- sion would be slow to permit the roads to carry forward anything like plan Ito effect general rate increase hy taking the schedules piecemeal. Had the roads succeeded in getting cattle and sheep rates raised they Woulo | nave been much encouraged
 Yet this did not dampen an attempt to raise the price of transportation on coal on grain, and grain products. on backing house products and on fresh meats.
 The commission set its disapproval on the attempt to raise coal rates from lpoints in the east to lake points and beyond, having permanently declared that the increases sought were not JUS |iifed As to the other commodities the commission has only temporarily suspended the proposed advances until such time as experts of the commission lean make a thorough investigation or Inc pronosed new rates to ascertain 1T | they are reasonable.
 | As to coal the commission m 10 uncertain terms declared that the pres. Ient schedule of rates between the coal fields of western Pennsylvania ana the 1(;reat Lakes, and from a certain DOT Ition of the extensive coal fields Tn l1Vest Virginia to lake points were eX- Icnesiye orders in these cases reduced the price of transportation anout Iuer cent in the case of the west Nlr- rinia fields and about 12 per cent Tn Ithe price of transportation rom the western Pennsylvania fields. 1 Rut while the shippers are fighting Ihirher rates and the public generally lis opposing them, the railroads are II making a strong plea for their adop- tion claiming they are both justihapie and imperative. They say that the Iast winter has been an unusually hard one. that it has cost heavily in trolling stock and that equipment of lall sorts has been unusually expen- lsive. It is further represented that II things have reached point where some way must be found to increase | railroad revenues or the service will decline to a point that will be serious for shippers. I It is the prediction of many well Informed students and observers of tho rate situation that the question of al- lowing roads general increase wili | be brought up again for general dis cussion and consideration by the in- terstate commerce commission. Should this be done the railroads or l the country wilF make the most tre- rrendous fight in the history of rail- road legislation.