The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1912-05-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.

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Special Washington Correspond
ent of The Times.
By CLYDE H. Tavenner.
The railroads of the country have
inaugurated a campaign to increase
freight rates over a territory compris-
ing practically half of the United
States. Not satisfied with an arrange
ment which permits them to pay
enormous dividends on capitaliza-
ton that is largely composed of water,
the roads intend to still further enrich
their stockholders at the expense Of
the people.
Two years ago the Interstate CON-
merce commission refused to allow
the roads to increase their rates.
Now these same roads, through in
direction and by piecemeal, are trying
to accomplish the very thing the COM
mission told them they could not do.
AS part of the strategy of the roads,
they have filed with the commission
new classification of freights-that
is they have submitted plan where
by certain articles of one class, on
which certain rate is allowed, have
been Jumped" into a class above,
carrying a higher rate. All told,
more than 1,4OO articles have thus
been classified, and if the commission
permits this arrangement to 90 into
effect the people simply will have to
pay more to have these articles
hauled. The proposed increases
range from ten to three hundred per
cent.
The roads, in submitting the new
classification plan, were careful to re-
duce the rate on certain number of
articles, apparently for the purpose
of detracting attention from the fact
that the proposed increases are far in
excess of the proposed reductions.
The state railroad and public service
commissions of Arkansas, Colorado,
California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas,
Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ne
braska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ore
gon, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington
and Wisconsin have united in pro-
test against the new classification,
and have pointed out that the pro-
posed increases are more than, sixty
per cent in excess Of the proposed re-
auctions, and that the Redistribution
plan of the roads simply is a subter-
fuge to get through big increase Of
rates.
The protest of the state commits
sions was made after the various
shippers associations of the various
states had studied the plan, and dis
covered the deception of it.
The charge has been made in
Congress by Senator LaFollette and
others that the corporations of this
country, including the railroads, are
at $31, 672, 100000, and
that seventy per cent of this capitaliza-
ton is water. The roads, constantly
urged by their already rich stock
holders, are constantly face to face
with the problem Of paying dividends
on this watered stock, and at the same
time keeping their trains running and
their tracks in repair. The C. B. and
@. railroad for instance, lists its
right of way as being worth $l7, 900 a
mile. This right of way was given
to the road, absolutely free, by the
federal and state governments.
Blocked by the Senate Standpatters.
The Democratic House Of Repre-
started out, in this session
If Congress, to cut down the ex-
oenses Of government. Many slashes
we're made into government extrava-
yence, but in each case the cut was
not made without the most careful
study. The effort to save money was
thoroughly honest.
The economy plan Of the Demo-