The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-03

ayers protested was contributing them.
was pronounced to have little foundA-
ton. The commission denounced
what 1t characterized . propaganda to
influence it's ,cision and added there
was no doubt it had seriously aggra-
waited the present commercial depres-
sion."
Such advances a. are allowed are
expected to increase the income Of the
railroads about 1 y per cent. Such
principal east and west roads al the
New York Central. Pennsylvania, Erie
and Baltimore 4 Ohio will benefit by
| the advances to the extent that they
have lines running from the east over
| into the territory in which the adj
| vances apply.
Coal. which alone comprises more
than one-half the total traffic OF the
railroads, will have no advance.
Neither Will coke. brick. tile. clay,
starch. cement, iron ore and plaster.
Neither will there be any increases on
alexandria, rates.
| A summary of the decision prepared
F.; by the commission follows:
Revenues Are Inadequate.
| The contention of the railroads
| that their revenues under the present
tanned, the commission saying that
| the operating income OF the railroads
in official classification territory, TAX
en- as whole, Is smaller than is de-
| mdnQeQ III the interest OF both the
general public and the railroads.
THE present financial difficulties
of the railroads are recognized by the
| commission as problem not only of
the railroads but of the public. which
it is the duty of the commission to help
to solve.
| The commission points out that the
official classification territory en-
| braces three rate territories, known as
the New England territory, lying east
OF the Hudson river; the trunk line
| territory. between the New England
! territory and the Buffalo Pittsburgh
line, and the Central Freight associa-
| ton territory, between the Buffalo
Pittsburgh ltne and the Mississippi.
river; and tfat the financial and traf-
fic conditions OF the railroads oper-
ating in these three rate territories
differ widely. The commission finds
| that the rates in Central Freight asso-
citation territory as a whole are not
only lower than the rates in either
trunk line or New England territory,
but they are lower than the rates in
any other part # the United States.
| If the average freight rate had been
| as high on the Central Freight asso-
citation territory lines as on the roads
| in trunk line territory, the former
| would have earned in 1913 100000
twenty-e1ght representative roads in
Central Freight association territory.
which are Lost in need, would have
earned $29. 100000 more.
Trunk Lines Benefit.
The three great trunk lines have
each large mileage in Central Freight
association territory. so that their
increases in that territory. Thus. of
the New York Central systems 1890
miles of line, 1888 miles or more than
two-thirds, are in Central Freight asso-
citation territory. Nearly one-half of
the mileage of the Pennsylvania sys-
tenn also is in the territory. and more
than one-half Of the Baltimore & Ohio.
The Erie. the Chesapeake & Ohio, and
the Norfolk & Western also have i'm
portant mileage IL Central Freight
trunk line territory. which have no
mileage in Central Freight association
territory, are in large part roads with
large anthracite coal traffic and are
very prosperous.
The effect Of the finding is also to
disal1ow the application OF the proposed
minimum increase OF cents ton on
those commodities for which a charge
| Is now made of less than 81 a ton. This
minimum increase, in some instances.
would have resulted in increasing rates
as much as rs to 50 per cent.
THE commission finds that the finan-
cial conditions Of the carriers in Trunk
Line territory do not warrant general
increase of freight rates and that the
needs Of the New England lines arc be-
ing cared for locally, and disallows the
proposed increases in those territories.
but under the title of How carriers
may increase their revenues finds that
great opportunity exists for increasing
the net revenue of all carriers in official
classification territory otherwise than
by resorting to a general advance in
their freight rates. and makes the fol- |
lowing specific suggestions:
Remedies Are Suggested.
THE commission suggests that fol-
lowing the plan adopted in New Eng
land, conferences be held between the
state commissions, the carriers and
representatives of the public with q
view to advancing such passenger
| fares as may be shown to be clearly
unremunerative. With respect to fares