Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-08-03
RAILROADS PLAN ANOTHER BIG
RATE FIGHT IN NEW TER
RlToRY.
TO FORMULATE DEMANDS
DESPITE RECENT DEFEAT
Failure to Secure Per Cent Advance
in East Does Not Discourage Rail-
road Managers in Effort to Bleed
Western Territory-Thorne Credited
With Victory in Eastern Case.
oecial to Times-Republican.

4
liwestern territory. the sequel to the ad-
vance rate case for eastern territory.
That the demand for a raise in the
western rates will follow is clearly
| foreshadowed despite the failure to
get the increase demanded for the
east.
The decision filed late Saturday by
| the interstate commerce commission is
of American transportation and but
for the overshadowing Importance of
the war it would command the stage
for many days.
The decision, taken as whole is a
practically complete victory for the
western commissions, representing the
western shippers and consumers, I'M
der the guidance OF Clifford Thorne,
after one of the most remarkab BILE con-
tests against overwhelming odds ever
recorded. Mr.. Thorne is at his home
in Washington; but there can be no
doubt that the decision is one which
comes nearer to vindication of his we'll
maintained position than to support of
any other.
Chairman Thorne confined himself
almost alone to one subject, that of
showing that the railroads in the great
territory of New England, New York,
and westward to the Mississippi have
not been able to make, and will not be
able to make, any just claim for the
horizontal per cent raise in rates
Case Looked Hopeless.
Nbor Nj, Tho,De entered tho case
on benalf of eight western railroad
commissions it looked as if it was all
over. that the commission was just
ready to grant the raise demanded, for
no provision had been made for COM
batting or even examining the testi
mcny offered by the carriers in sup
port of the demand for a ) per cent
raise. Mr. Thorne analyzed the sta
tistics of the railroad presidents and
completely destroyed their arguments
by showing the fallacy of the conten-
tionS made.
At the conclusion of the argument
last spring. it is recalled Mr. Brandeis.
who had been employed as counsel by
the commission. made the startling and
damaging admission before the COM
mission of the justice of the claim Of
the railroads III the entire eastern ter
ritory for the advance in rates asked.
Then 1t was that Mr.. Thorne filed
supplemental brief fairly ''skinning"
Brandeis and denouncing him for un-
dertaking to pass Judgment on mat
ter not submitted to him and virtually
conceding the position of the carriers.
What Was Really Done.
What has really been done, on the
in, hU "a
ply to declare that the contention of
the railroads that their revenues I'M
der the present scale of rates is i'll
adequate is sustained But the adj
vance asked for in the eastern terri
tory is fatty denied. To appease the
carriers the commission besides:
Increases allowed on about half the
business in small part of the terri
tory, namely. that between Pittsburgh
and the Mississippi river.
Advice as to revising schedules,
off free allowances higher passenger
fares, ETC., to secure more revenue.
Roads Gain Little.
The sensitiveness of the carriers to
the situation is reflected in the way
their defeat was handled. The PSYCHE
logical effect has been carefully
Herald carried the news of the decis-
ion under a heading Grants Higher
Freight Rates. and the Chicago Trib-
une, long recognized as wholly under
corporation influences said: Railroads
Get Per Cent Rate Advance But
Frederick A. Delano. who was one of
the committee Of railroad presidents
handling the case. when interviewed,
said:
ct is difficult to draw conclusions
without thorough study of the ruling.
but it appears to me as if we We're not
going to get much. It is a long way
from being the relief asked, and the
commodities excluded furnished fully
so per cent of the tonnage in the Cen
trail Freight Association territory. The
fact that the commission refused any
increase of the lake and rail rates may
prevent the Increase of rates between
Buffalo and Chicago None of the
roads will feel like increasing the DIFF
ferential between the two avenues Of
Shipment
In other words, as expressed by the
carriers themselves. they merely got
the right to increase certain rates in
limited territory. which they dare
not increase because of the lake COM
petition.
In this connection it is recalled with
what vehemence Mr.. Thorne was de-
nounced for having pointed out to the
commission the existence of the prop
uganda to influence the decision. This
propaganda was the theme of the La
Toilette book which was gotten out az
a part Of the Congressional Record,
about which a. good deal of fuss was
made at the time.
Iowa Interested.
That part of the decision which fol-
lows the suggestion of Mr.. Brandeis re-
lates to the economies of the business.
such as abolition of free passes, the
cost of Which is found to have been
s1S.520 900 year.
Abolition of free service. such as
time for unloading, storing freight, re-
frigeration service, spotting cars. etc
There is a great deal more in the de-
cision than appeared from the some
what meager reports sent out in the
chiDks between war flashes.
While none of the rates We're rates
within Iowa, hence Iowa people were
not directly interested, they did have
an interest amounting to millions Of
dollars. Had the s60,51O, ov0 incfea Sc
been granted off hand Iowa people
probably would have paid annually
from million TO three or four million
dollars Of the same. 1t was because