New-York tribune., 1913-06-27
III INQUIRY ORDERED
.,..,ste Commerce Commits
Issues Amended Decision.
,,srERN ROADS AFFECTED
..,r.ion Reached by Bare
sapI !. ,.ritv. Three Members AS
''1 '.rtipg Lack of Authority

.o, June 26.-An amended or
0''ainsf nss Of that resclnded last satur-
n . ~. ',s,,ed to-day by the Interstate
1r '-s commission for an investiga-
1,ns''' increase Of freight rates by
. 5'o 5o.tsrn s railroads. 1t differs in
q Sss'r ,'r but not in principle from
/ II rsscinded' .-.,u.+a was reached
n s. majority. Commissioners Glenn
70 -. ,,.cbord and Marble dissenting
8 a..snter wrote a brief opinion
- u's :. the main. that the commission,
.ns lining - concrete before it, was
lnns authority to establish minimum
- .,,ission' makes two observations
suing the order: 49,, s.o,s.s
iA % investigate this subject must
~ = taken as an intimation that the
= = ..,o, has reached the conclusion
..ssnues are inadequate or that rates
n - advanced Upon this question
'-e .,lnIon has been formed.
: w. !a..S-That the statute gives to any
= ' n. right to attack by complaint
y. %, - and no general conclusion which
/. : c,mmission ., may reach and announce
= s'.''', -. Investigation can affect that
1t ,.-.o .hoso ,o,,,s.
y 49, 80 present rates Of transportation
I, .S.auate revenues 10 common car
y ~ railroad operating in Official
p .,sraton territory? If not, what gen.
: nurse may carriers pursue to meet
!, siusuon" ,-,., -.
=. ,,vsst,gaton. but it is unofficially un-
- : ., that no formal proceedings Will
:. r,ssrtaken before next autumn.
e.,rs. A Post president Of the Rail
~ business Association, expressed
,.,,s.v the satisfaction Of that body
-, The Interstate Commerce Commis-
=. s.d ordered an investigation Of the
n.l,ht rate question. According 10 Mr..
~. sucb an investigation was war
-.,.a because in 1912 corporations,
~, than steam railroads. listed on the
y,r York Stock Exchange new securi-
), 70 the highest total Of the decade,
,.r. steam railroad corporations listed
!. ,ovss, total He cited the fact that
,rvay issues dropped from ga per
=, n the total in 1909 10 10 per cent Of
\ total in 1912.
The Investigation will provide data y
J, Post asserted, for the use Of the
emission in deciding the reasonable
asa Of whatever schedules may later be
ID BY the Eastern roads in light Of the
,es adduced. and = will also make
r.Ilsb!s to the commission information
J, i,s use in determining what policy
sould be pursued as affecting the gen.
al level Of rates when shippers from
ne TO time ask revision Of particular
,hsiules, not primarily on the ground
q, rates are excessive. but alleging
-'ropriety in the relation Of one rate
! sno,her. The routine readjustments
on day to day may have quite as i'm
utant an effect on the revenue Of car
ias as any one horizontal revision COW
.lng all rates in a large territory"
Il the opinion OF the president Of the
a@-ray Business Association what the
,Esiate Commerce Commission has 10
s.gmine IS, not how low II has consti-
.aoaal authority TO depress the rates Of
,3yidual companies. but how high, in
4 public interest, II is wise 70 permit
z roads 10 fix the rates. and how an
3Vsncs, If any, is 10 be distributed over
] the tonnage affected.