Evening journal., 1913-05-16
WOULD REOPEN
THE RATE CASE
Railroads Of East Want New
Hearing Before Interstate
Commission

Representatives Of the Baltimore
and Cine Railroad Company. the Erie
Railroad Company, the New York |
Central lines and the Pennsylvania
Railroad System. on Wednesday held |
a conference with the Interstate Com |
merce Commission, at which the COM |
mission was petitioned to reopen
docket No. 3400-the advance rate
case decided in February. 1911.
The commission at that time stated
that if conditions changed there might |
be ground for asking a further COLI
sideration OF this subject" The Car
riers in their petition now say they
81 lieve that the time has now ar
rived when the results of the opera
tiOns of the carriers, subsequent to
the former consideration of this case,
should be laid before the commission"
The carriers propose to make a five
per cent. increase in all class and
commodity freight rates, submitting
that "if an increase in freight rates
is permitted the method of making 1t
which would work the least disturb
ance of existing relations between
classes of traffic and between commu-
mites would be that of the same per-
centage increase in all freight rates,
subject to such notifications as may
be required to preserve necessary diff
ferential relations"
The commission is asked to hear the
case and to render its decision without
subjecting the railroads to the large
expense and delay involved in the
preparation of new tariffs.
Increases in wages. taxes. capital
charges and additional legislative bur
Geng. such as extra crew laws, grade
crossing bills. employers liability and
compensation acts. and other new eK-
penses. are given as some of the items
that have steadily increased the cost
o. running a railroad, and make high
or rates necessary.
The roads contend that many mil
lions OF dollars should be spent for
improved and additional facilities,
such as enlarged yards and terminals,
additional tracks, block signals. new
shops, stations and new equipment,
which "are demanded by existing and
future Transportation conditions" and
must be provided if the needs of the
public are to be satisfied.
The roads state that many OF these
improvements must be paid for out
Of new capital, which at this time can
only be obtained on prohibitive teVms,
and that it is only through an in
crease in freight rates that they can
provide that margin of surplus which
viii afford them the credit necessary
10 procure at reasonable interest
charges the additional capital re-
quired.
Harry T. wilkins, formerly chief
clerk in the Office of the chief me-
chanical engineer of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, has been appointed special
agent OF the traffic department with
Office in Broad Street Station Mr..
Wilkins will have charge Of the prep
aration, installation and display Of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Systems ex-
hibit at the Panama Pacific Interna-
tioLal Exposition to be held in San
Francisco in 1915.
Mr. Wilkins has been in the service
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany since 1883, when he became a
stenographer in the passenger depart
ment. He was one OF the first stenog-
raphers on the Pennsylvania Limit
ed" and in February. 1891, he was
transferred to Altoona in the office OF
the general superintendent Of motive
power. He came to Philadelphia In
March, 1898, as chief clerk in the
office of the chief of motive power.
The Pennsylvania Railroad has
taken part in practically all impor-
tant expositions in the United States
and abroad since the Worlds Fair, in
1898, and Mr. Wilkins has been closely
identified with the preparation Of the
company's exhibits.