The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-23
LIME TO Benefit
VIRGINIA FARMERS
Preferable to Use Ground Lime
stone in Some Instances,
Say Experts.
SYLLABUS OF RATE OPINION
Railroads Now Carry Similar.
Commodities at Very Low
Tariffs.
SYLLABUS OF RATE OPINION

Lime in some form viii benefit n
large part of the farming lands of
Virginia. according to expert opinion
before the State Corporation Commits.
sion. in it's recent decision recurring
certain railroads to put In low rates
for the transportation of ground lime
stone. The opinion. which was nv
Commissioner j. Richard wingaeld
and concurred in by Commissioners r.
r. Prentis and William F. Rheo. 10
upon a subject of widespread interest
The following is syllabus:
/ The facts as found by the commits
sion are:
| l. The concensus of expert opinion
| is that lime in some form will benefit
large part of the farming lands o,
Virginia; that under some conditions
ii is preferable to use finely ground
limestone. and other conditions to use
caustic or agricultural lime; that in
the application of ground limestone
1t Is necessary to use large amount
probably a ton or more per acre
2 That ground limestone is n low
grade article, costing at the factory
about 81 per ton, and in the same class
as gravel. sand. stone ana rubble. iron
ore coke, coal brick. etc, which are
all low grade commodities
The petitioner. the Virginia State
Farmers Institute, asks the commits
sion to require the defendant railroads
to put into effect the same scale OF
rates on ground limestone which be-
came effective on August 10, 1912 on
the Norfolk and Western Railway. The
following roads havo voluntarily
adopted the said Norfolk and Western
scale OF rates: The yirginian, the Caro-
lima, Clinchneld and Ohio. Richmond,
fredericksburg and Potomac, Wash
inston Southern, Chesapeake and Ohio.
Valley Railroad of Virginia and the
Atlantic Coast Line Railway. The
roads resisting the petition are the
subsidiary lines of the Baltimore and
Ohio with the exception of the VAL
ley Railroad of Virginia), the Louis
Vile and Nashville. Norfolk Southern.
New York. Philadelphia and Norfolk.
Southern Railway, Danville and West
ern and the Seaboard Air Line Rail-
way. Said latter named roads insist
that the Norfolk and Western scale II
applied to their roads would not be
fair and reasonable rates and would
be unremunerative and confscatory.
Only Matter of just Rate.
The commission In It's decision says:
The only question necessary to be
considered is whether the rates named
in the Norfolk and Western tariff, II
applied to said defendant railroad com
panies. be reasonable and just II is
difficult. if not impossible. TO ascertain
tile cost of transportation by any rail-
road OF any one particular commodity.
Railroads have made their rates largely
ton with other roads. They arc en-
gagged In the business OF transportation
for profit. and IL is 20 be presumed that
in no case do they voluntarily trans
port commodities at n loss. If they
did So 1t would result in discrimina-
ton between shippers and localities,
because they could only afford TO do so
by taxing unjustly other shippers or
localities.
Three tables made up from the re-
cords of the commission show that on
the low grade commodities certain rail
roads OF the State transport such COM
moditics TO meet competition at GER
tain points on n basis of rates in all
cases as low, and for the most part
substantially lower. than the rate per
ton mile on ground limestone put into
effect by the Norfolk and Western scale
which approXimates one-half cent @
mills) per ton mile Comparison of the
rate per ton mile for equal distances
shows that the Seaboard Air Line Rail-
way and Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
carries stone and crushed rubble TWEEN
ty-threc miles for 13.4 mills. same as
! Norfolk and Western tariff on ground
limestone: the Southern Railway car
r!cs iron ore forty six miles at 4.S5
mills per ton mile: the Richmond. Fred
ericksburg and Potomac and Washing
ton Southern carry gravel fifty miles
ct mills per ron mile. against s mills
under said Norfolk and Western tariff:
the Virginia and Southwestern Rail-
road. coke scventy-four miles at 6
mills. against 6.76 mills of said Norfolk
and Western tariff for the same dis
lance. The Southern Railway. stone.
crushed eighty-two miles. $40 mills
per ton mile. against $50 mills per ton
mile under said Norfolk and Western
scale The Southern Railway. 40
miles. stone crushed. 5.72 mills per ton
mile, against COZ mills per ton mile
under the said Norfolk and Western
ground limestone rate. and so OH up
TO a distance Of 200 miles and over"
Referring 10 4 table. the commission
says: These ngures clearly indicate
that the roads which carry the 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"
rho conclusion OF the commission
therefore. is. upon the fair assumption
mat the rates voluntarily established
/ by the railway companies upon tho low
! grade commodities above referred to
! are fairly remunerative we think il
| plainly appears from these compari
sons that the proposed rates on ground
| limestone are neither connscatorv nor
unreasonable. and. considering the case
In all of its aspects. we are of the
/ opinion that the proposed rates should
/ be made effective. and the proper order
making them effective will thereforn
| he entered"