The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1913-06-07
RAILROADS AGAIN SEEK TO
RAISE TARIFFS ON FREIGHT
FIVE PER CENT.
MEANS 100000 A YEAR
Interstate Commerce Commission to
Decide Matter Affecting Country
East Of the Mississippi and North
Of the Ohio and Potomac.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

er the railroads east of the Mississippi
river and north OF the Ohio and Po-
tomac river shall be allowed to in
crease their freight rates Ave per cent
From what one hears from all quar-
tiers, It seems to be the pretty gen
eral admission that the Interstate COM
merce commission is fair and eff
cient government board. Judging from
the past 1t can be said the impression
10 that the commission can be depend
ed upon to do the square thing by the
railroads and by the public.
The duty Of the commissioners will
be to determine whether or not the
Ave per cent. increase Is reasonable"
II they so and 1t, the railroads AFFECT
cd will add about $40.000.000 to their
annual revenue. In a letter which
Samuel Rea. president of the PennsyL
vania Railroad company. has written
for publication, and sent In printed
form to all the newspaper correspond
ents In Washington, this 10 said: The
annual revenue from freight in the
territory concerned Is about $S00.000,-
900. Five per cent. Of this Is 340.-
000, 900. There are about 40,000,000
people In this portion of the country.
The proposed increase, therefore,
means an average Of one dollar per
head OF the population-eight cents a
month"
Plenty Of Facts and Figures.
The interstate commerce commits.
einp hoa oyarvthipp which haa haan
written in behalf OF the reasonable
ness of the proposed rate increase,
1t will get much more in printed form
and by word Of mouth before It is
ready to make its decision. II also
will be given the other side of the
question, for the increase will affect
the shippers and the public generally.
Once before the commissioners de-
cided against the reasonableness OF
the advance In the rates which the
railroads now ask. The question
which the commission must answer in
the near future is: Have conditions
changed enough to warrant the ad-
vance In rates which did not seem TO
be warranted three years ago?
! In the year 1910 the railroads which
are now seeking to advance their rates
filed with the commission table OF
increases upon all classes of rates and
i, upon one-half OF the commodity rates
| within the eastern territory. Follow
! ing this action the railroads west to
Chicag filed similar tables increas-
Ing their rates upon many commodl-
ties.
The public showed indignation over
this action, and under the direction
! OF President Taft the department of
justice was told to bring suit on the
J ground that the increase OF rates was
the result OF conspiracy restraining
trade and violating the Sherman anti,
I trust law. An injunction was forth.
coming, and then the railroad repre-
sentatives appealed to the president
saying that they would suspend the
rates until the Interstate commerce
commission definitely could determine
whether or not they were reasonable
I The commission determined that they
were unreasonable, and so the roads
continued their former rates.
This advanced rate problem, the an
| swer to which II Is for the interstate
commerce commission to give. helps
to outline sharply the course and the
| progress OF governmental control In
| corporation matters. Once upon q
time the big corporations of the coun
try were either law unto themselves
or were subject to the laws of states
whose legislators in the main part al
ways showed friendliness toward mer
and corporations of big affairs. Toda,
the railroads are going to small body
OF men, representing in one capacity
the people of the United States, to ash
whether or not the freight rate ad
vance Is reasonable.
There are men In congress utterly
opposed to government ownership
who say that the increased power o
the government over the corporation
is the shortest means OF avoiding gov
eminent ownership. and they add tina
most Of the thinkers In the great In
terstate corporations believe as the,
do.
Uncle Sam, Railroad Builder.
Within IL months the Unite,
States government will begin tn,
construction OF railroad on III
own account and will embark the Sc,
OF railroad ownership and, probably
operation. Following legislation b,
the present congress. the federal gov
eminent In all human probability will
construct and own railroads in Alas
ka Twenty years ago such an an
nouncement would have set certain
conservative ones by the ears. I
would have been no more astonishinl
report 20 years ago. however, thai
- the the assertion today that Alask,
railroad Legislation has been propose,
In form which has the support o
loyal conservationists and lis not or
posed by the interests"
President Wilson, Secretary of tn
Interior Lane and Senator Pittmau
chairman Of the senate committee OF
territories, have given close attention
to the many legislative proposals 70
the development of Alaska and II 1
now seemingly assured that the Cham
beriain-W ickcrsham bill providing 70