The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-23
TOOK
\ SIDE Of FARMERS
I'LL SYLLABUS OF THE OPINION
IN THE GROUND LIMESTONE
9 CASE.
! GENERAL INTEREST
rrs ORDERED PUT INTO EFFECT
ARE NEITHER UNREAsONA-
ME NOR CoNFIsCAToRY THE
COMMISSION THINKS.

The opinion recently given In what
known as the ground limestone
tsse" by Commissioner Wingheid-
eoncurred In by Commissioners Rhea
nd Prentiss--in which the commits
lion ordered the| railroads of the
state to put into effect the minimum
ntes ON limestone, IL of such I'M
JortancO to the agricultural interests
kltat q full syllabus of the commits
hion's decision Is deemed of SUFFICIENT
Interest to warrant publication.
The facts as found by the commits
lion are:
j. The concensus Of expert opinion
q that lime In some form will bene-
ht q large part OF the farming LANDS
be Virginia: that under some condi-
lions it IL preferable to use finely
ground limestone and other conditions
o use caustic or agricultural lime:
hat in the application OF ground
limestone Ii IL necessary to use large
mount. probably a ton or more per
lcre.
.. That ground limestone Is q low
Grade article. costing at the factory
kbout $1.00 per ton, and in the same
class as gravel, sand, stone and rub
BILE, iron ore, coke, coal. brick, etc.
which are all low grade commodities.
N. q W.. Rates As Basis.
The petitioner (.'The Virginia State
Farmers institute"l asked the COM
mission to require the defendant rail-
roads to put into effect the same scale
bf rates on ground limestone which
became effective on the 18th of
August, 1919, on the Norfolk & West
krn railway. The following roads
have voluntarily adopted the said
Norfolk & Western scale Of rates. viz;
The yirginian. the Carolina. Clinch-
Held a Ohio, Richmond. Fredericks-
burg & Potomac, Washington South
brn, Chesapeake 4 Ohio. Valley Rail-
road OF Virginia and the Atlantic
Coast Line railway. The roads re-
hating the petition are the subsidiary
ines of the Baltimore & Ohio with
he exception of the Valley Railroad
bf virginia), the Louisville & Nash
vile. Norfolk Southern, New York,
Philadelphia & Norfolk. Southern
Railway, DanvilIe q Western and the
latter named roads insist that the
Norfolk & Western scale, If applied to
heir roads. would not be fair and
reasonable rates and would be I'M
remunerative and confiscatory.
Only One Issue.
The commission in its decision says:
The only question necessary to be
considered lis whether the rates named
n the Norfolk & Western tariff IL APP
piled to said defendant railroad COM
paysies be reasonable and Just. 1t is
fificuft. II not impossible, Ia ascer-
lain the cost of transportation by any
railroad of any one particular COM
modify. Railroads have made their
Rates Ia rnRlS. as 81 YaaY1tf nf aynertpnSa
N competition with other roads. They
ire engaged in the business OF trans
pOrtaiion for profit and Il Is to be
presumed that In no case do they
voluntarily transport commodities at
4 loss IL they did so. 1t would result
n discrimination between shippers
and localities. because they could only
Ahord to do so by taxing untustly
pther shippers or localities.
Three tables made up from the
records OF the commission. to be read
y part of the opinion, show that on
ertain low grade commodities cer-
AIN railroads OF the State transport
shch commodities to meet competi-
Acn at certain points on a basis Of
rates in all cases as low. and for the
most part substantially lower than
the rate per ton mile on ground lime
stone put into effect by the Norfolk
Western scale, which approximates
pne-half cent tffve miils) per tone
mile.
The Rates Compared.
Reference to said Table A. COM
pairing the rate per ton mile for equal
distances shows that the Seaboard
Air Line Railway and Atlantic Coast
Line Railroad carries stone and
crushed rubhie twcnty-three miles for
! "a nH4I1A 1a vyrn q
fariff on ground limestone: the South
ern Railway carries iron ore forty-six
miies at ABS mills per ton mile: the
kichmond. Fredericksburg a Potomac
and Washington Southern carry
gravel nifty miles at 4 mills per ton
mile against mills under said Nor
1olk & Western tariff; thu Virginia a
southwestern Railroad. coke, seventy
-FOUR miles, at 9 mills, against SIS
mills OF said Norfolk & Western tariff
Tor the same distance. The Southern
Railway. stone. crushed. eighty-two
miles, 5.<9 mills per ton mile, against
6.69 mills per ton mile under said
Norfolk & Western scale. The South
ern Railway. 14o miles. stone, crushed.
b.72 mills per ton mile against 6.O7
mills per ton mile under the said Nor
folk & Western ground limestone rate,
and 50 on through said Table A. up
to = distance Of 200 miles and over"
Make Good PROFITS.
Referring to another table the COM
Mission says: These figures clearly
indicate that the roads which carry
tho largest percentage OF low grade
commodities, products OF mines. at
low rates, earn per mile. both OF
GROSS and net revenue, the largest
amounts OF money"
x~fA - -
therefore. Is. upon the fair assump-
ton that the rates voluntarily estab-
llshed by the railway companies upon
THE low grade commodities above re-
ferFed to are fairly remunerative. we
think It plainly appears from these
comparisons that the proposed rates
on ground limestone are neither con-
fiscatory nor unreasonable. and. con-
sidering the case In all Of its aspects,
We are of tho opinion that the pro-
posed rates should be made effective.
and tina nr0nnr order MAKING thnvn