The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-10-22
HIGHER RATES
]. OBJECTED TO
In Specific Cases Heard Be-
fore Commissioner
Prouty
BOSTON & NAMES
PETITION HEARD
BY Commissioner and State
Public Service Com
missions

Boston. Oct. 22-Shipping interests
appeared before the composite interstate
commerce. commission at the federal
building Yesterday afternoon and OPP
posed the Boston & Maine railroads
reouest for specific increases in freight
rates. Charles A. Prouty presided, and
the same commissioners from Massa-
ehusetts. Maine, Vermont and New
Hampshire who sat with him at the
opening of the hearing few weeks
ago sat with him again yesterday TO
hear the opposition from the shippers
The opposition is only conditional. 1t
recognizes the need OF more revenue Tor
the Boston & Maine and comedies the
necessity for higher freight rates, but
the objection is to the specific rates
whiah the, railroad has asked the inter-
state commerce commission to approve.
The argument against them is that they
are too high to some points and discour-
aqinr to local industries, and might
even affect the steamship rates.
David O. Ives of the Chamber OF Com
meroe presented the report which the
chambers transportation committee has
adopted and which was approved by
the board of directors. This report,
which is given in part, shows the cham
hers ANALYSIS of the rates and its prln-
cipal affections, while admitting that
there should be some rate increases.
The report saya "The need of a con-
Of fraiahf rafno
ON the Boston & Maine system is, We
think, generally Acknowledged We be-
lieve. there should be a general lining
up of the rates, so as TO make them
harmonize with one another. Such an
adjustment should be expected to in
volve reasonable advances in some OF
the rates. To such increases we should
not be inclined to interpose any oblec-
ton.
"The schedule of freight rates which
the railroad asks the commission to APP
prove is not of this character, but Is,
as a matter of fact, an extraordinarily
large increase in the rates from all OF
the principal shipping centers on that
road. We have been unable to learn
of any case where so large a general
advance in the rates from the principal
shipping points on any railroad system
has been made. There seems to us to
be a great deal of foundation for the
belief, expressed by large number OF
manufacturers and boards of trade, that
so extreme an increase in rates would
seriously handicap the industries on the
various divisions of the road, and would
in fact to considerable degree defeat
nf M
income.
while. therefore, we should be in
clined to recommend that the chamber
favor reasonable increase. in the Bos-
ton & Maine freight rates, we feel COM
PEELED to recommend that it strongly
oppose the approval by the commission
of the very large increases which this
schedule proposes. -
"The schedule of increased rates which
the railroad asks the commissions to
approve is on fixed mileage basis 1t
applies without exception to class rates
between all points on the road, and
does not take into consideration such
essential factors as density OF traffic,
degree of grades and curvature, probable
trainload, and cost of fuel.
"Your committee on transportation
has proceeded on the theory that it is
not the desire of the chamber to OPP
pose a reasonable adjustment by the
Boston a Maine railroad, for the pur-
pose Of increasing its revenue, or its
rates. But while this committee would
be inclined to recommend that the cham
Der favor reasonable increase in the
Boston & Maine freight rates, we feel
compelled to recommend strongly that
the chamber oppose the approval of the
proposed schedule of increases, because;
|. The proposed increases in the elias
sifed rates from the principal shipping