Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-29
Declaration ofOppos=
ing Companies in
Briefs Against r.
K. Rate Increase
Wabash Counsel Holds Need
OF Advance Conceded

Washington, April 2S.-Chairman
Harlan of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, announced today upon
resumption of arguments in the ad-
vance rate case that discussion must
conclude next Friday.
j. L. MINUS, general counsel for the
Wabash, and representing the Central
Freight Association Roads, pointed
out that Mr.. Brandeis' brief for the
commission conceded that the rail-
ways in Central Fraight Association
territory needed additional revenues.
Opposed Govt Ownership
In view of this and of the generally
accepted belief that the people of the
country We're opposed to government
ownership of railroads, the commits
sion, he urged, having previously held
that the roads were entitled to make
reasonable return upon their proper
ty invested, ought to adopt such
means as would insure to the railways
such profit as would attract new
capital and enable them to maintain
and to extend their lines in conformity
with the reasonable demands of the
public.
Without debate the Senate today
passed the La Toilette resolution di-
recting the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to send to the Senate all COM
munications 1t has received which
were tmanifestIy designed to infiu
ence" its decision in the freight adj
vance case. Senator Newlands an
nounced that members of the commits
sion had no objection to the immedi-
ate passage 70 the resolution.
Opposing Briefs Filed
Briefs in opposition to an increase of
freight rates asked for by the Eastern
railroads were filed with the Interstate
Commerce Commission on behalf of the
Pittsburg Coal Co., the New Pittsburg
Coal Co. and the State Railroads Com
missions in the eastern classification ter
ritory, when arguments in the case were
resumed.
Clifford Thorne In his brief for the rail-
road commission urged that the net oper
ating income for the carriers involved
was greater during the past four years
than for any similar period in their histo-
ry; that net earnings during the past five
years period were greater than during
the preceding FIVE years and those for
1913 greater than, the average for either
Of those five-year periods. He urged also
that the future would develop other
economies, inventions and improvements
which would have the effect of further
augmenting carriers revenues.
Answer to Carriers
Answering statements attributed to the
carriers that their bonds are not attrac-
tive to capital, Mr.. Thorne asserts that
they average higher than any other class
of market securities except government
bonds and that the railroads credit is
equal toor better than that of any other
class of business or Industrial companies.
The brief of the "oal companies asserts
that exhibits of the carriers show that
gross and net returns for 1913, particular
ly for the coal carrying roads, are more
satisfactory than they have been in the
past The situation, it is declared. calls
for an adjustment of rates as between
traffic will bear" and the value of the
service to the shippers as determined
by the interested carriers, are to con-
tinue for the future. The brief asserts
that mine products, including coal, now
bear more than their share of the trans
portation burden and adds that the
profits earned by the roads on coal range
from 100 to 800 per cent.