Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-12-18
SUBSTANTIAL ADVANCE NEEDED
Some Assurance Must BE Given
That Additional Revenues
VIII BE Prudently
Expended.

imposing upon the public unjust and un-
reasonable transportation charges, and
provided further that some assurance
can be given that the money will be pru-
IDENTITY expended I'm the public interest"
This is the declaration Of the conference
Of railroad commissioners upon the propo-
Sition Of the Boston a Maine railroad to
increase its rates. Tho report of the con-
ference was made public tO-uisht by the
public service commission
Counsel for the COMPANY" says the
report "claimed that such increase
should amount to at least $5,ot1orD pcr
year To this we do not assent. II can
not be known until the property is once
more efficiently and properly operated
until its leaschold lines have been Waited
how much the advance should be-
Tho commissioners also say that
past mlsmanagemcnt is responsible for
much of the roads present difficulty.
The confcrecs who signed tho report
We're: Charles \. ProutY of the inter-
state commerce commission; Frederick J.
Macleod, chairman, and George ". An
dorson' George W. Bishop, clinton White
ana Edward +. stone Of th" Mas%tchu-
sous pdhlr service commission; hohert
- Bacon 'haFihah ana w imam X
| warmer ana lafk ~. 'o'In'N '' Tue N''-
mont p"pI' service commissions r''W''d
| - -\II'S' tAHfina'r ana |ohh IT,. ''Il'""
"u" iH'I'''S .. "'''h'" "' ''' Ne"
| i'"i'I'S'"' P"'I'' 'iE''' '"i"l'.SS'"''
/ "II' t'Ih'' - NPol'"I"' '"'''iH'"' ANA
/ ''"N N'I@'F ana Jon" ~ Jones OF '''
mann ''" '"''i "'SS''"'
,"'- '''
'' ''7.'"r 0''''-'
o,,,os cnnrorrod ,,.,h Int'r.,at' .,,,,
morcc Commissioner proutv IN order thar
uniformity of opinion and action might
he osta blishod between the, federal board
ana the various state boards The intcr-
! state commerce. commission has no al-
thoritv to approve In advance a schedule
| of rates and can not therefore permit
IN advance The railroad must first file
! its schedule. which will then be examined
! ana corrected 10y tho commission. The Pc
| port of the commissioners has therefore.
no official standing, hut merely reflects
! what in their Judgment is the most add
visahlc thing for tho railroad to do
After reviewing the reasons leading to
the conference Of tho commissioners, the
report says:
| THE Boston x Maine railroad, upon
| the basis of its present rates, i bank
Tupt For the year ending June g.
1873, it had remaining after the payment
Of its fixed charges and its taxes 5000
| In point OF fact. dividends aggrog ating
three per cent. upon the capital stock
| were pad during the year, but they were
not earned. Comparing July, August and
| September Of the present year with the
CORRESPONDING months for tho year 1917
| We find a decrease In net operating
revenue of $4,000, From an analysis ct
its operating expenses for the year 1913
| as compared with other years upon tho
Boston 4 Maine and with other railroads
and as compared with the first thrc,
| months of the current year, 1t seem,
probable that It's income from operation
will fan at least $t,o0H 600 short of what
| it was i'm the year 1913
1T also appears that certain of IN,
charges against this income Will be ma
t,riallv increased during the current yea
AS comuared with the previous like period
lowing to nm advance i'm the rate of inter
est. The interest chargcs will he incrca- sec
arnroxir,ote1v sGlOoo Owing 10 AN i'm
crease I'm tb, pcr diem charge for the us,
Of freight cars. the item for hire o.