The sun., 1913-11-24
RAILROAD MEN BEGIN
RATE FIGHT TO-DAY
Interstate Board to Hold First
Hearing on ) Per Cent.
Increase.

! WAsutNgroN Nov. GA small army
, OF railroad men. headed by President
Willard of the Baltimore and Ohio and
! President Delano Of the Wabash system.
| will appcar before the Interstate Com
merce Commission tomorrow in the
| initial hearing Of the application OF the
| carriers operating east OF the mississippi
and north of the ohio and Potomac rivers
| to increase rates ON an average OF per
cent.
Five hundred and ninety. carriers in
til. I. gion named are directly invoiNeu.
but actually every railroad In the United
states is concerned. if the commission
| authorizes the railroads In what ~ known
rs official classification territory to IN
cr.as. rates like authority Will be granted
carriers in other sections.
Railway men contend that the future
prosper,,y Of the country is dependent upon
affirmative action by III. Interstate Com
mere. Commission in this rate case. and
this view is shared by many shippers ana
men In political III"
Tn, first move oi the railroads toward
obtainuc an iu'raL..' in freight rates was
msd.. in MAY last when a petition was
filed with n. Commiss ION asking for Il
r.h.arins of the freight rate IN .i"as" cas-.
of 1910. IN" commission ANNOUNCED Oh
Jurp n that ia accordance With repre-
s.n,ations mpdc rv railway managers II
had decided to reopen the rat" case -"
pr, scented tht matter TINS WAY
First-Do tn, present rates Of trans
portatiun Yield adequate revenues I"
common carriers 10y railroad operating
ia official classification territory
S.cund--if not. what general course may
carriers pur-u. To- meet ~. situation"
Tn. railway managers believe that they
will b. able to SHOW that the situation
can b. met only hy permission to raise
rates In their application tor authority
10 Increase rates ,he railroad petitioners
said in part
your petitioners ave prepared to snow
that thr cost of conducting the business
of ,h. carriers has been and Is beng
increased by increases in capital charges
increases IN wages. increases IN taxes m
creased burdens imposed by Legislative
enactment such as extra crew laws, en-
ploy-rs liability ana COMPENSATION acts
elimination Of grad, crossings. either in
uart nr in whole AT In. expense Of the
the carriers tn. installation Of various
appliances and In various other respects
Your petitioners further allese that exist
ing rates ar" insufficient to afford Just
and reasonable compensation and return
to tn. carriers and are unreasonable low
in view of IN. value of III, services at
ford-d hereunder.
1t is along these lines that the railroad,
sion. The preliminary statement will be
made tomorrow 10y Presidents Willard
and I,,lano assisted by counsel
The advanced rates that are the subjec:
ot hearing and investigation would have
| gone into effect November Is II an ordcT
! of suspension had not been issued by me
| commission. The suspension will expire
| March IL next. BY that time II Is ne
| lieved the commission will have reached
| a decision. However. under the law a
further suspension may DE made till tbs
| fall Of 1914.
| Hope is expressed by all concerned thai
| President Wilson will take cognizanc,
| without delay of the situation that Oh
! tains in the commission AS II result oI
| the death of Commissioner Marble anl
| the prospectiv" retirement of Commits
! son.rs Irouty and clements II Judg,
| Prouty becomes head Of the physical valu-
| alton bureau and Mr.. Clements retires al
| the end Of his term In December the
| commission will be soon sitting In the
| case with three new members.
| For this reason IL IL likely that the ser.
| vices of either Judge rTouty or Mr.. Glenn
| cnts will be retained. or perhaps both
| Officials connected with the commissio,
| are hopeful that If Judge Prouty remain,
! NJ the head of the physical valuation
| bureau, thus severing his connection with
| the commission, the President will be per.
| suaded to reappoint Judge Clements.