The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-01-29

roads to certain favored industries
throughout the country The COM
mission says: 81 s4S4fr 4
The cost to the line carriers Of
thoso. contributions by, them in money
and services. per diem reciaims. and
dtmurrage, exemptions to the fen
favored shippers shown on this
record does not appear 1t has been
estimated ,:at not less than $15,06O:4
ooo,a year, and this We resaru as
conservative" y
Lines Without Locomotives.
The commission calls attention to
the fact that these allowances made
by the railroads are in the shape OF
Divisions out of the rates, per diem
rcclaims, remission OF demurrage
end furnace allowances. involved
with these questions Is that of the
legality Of the services performed by
the carriers, without charges in addi-
lion to the rate, in switching cars IN
and about industrial plants that have
IN Locomotives Of their9own. !
1.-The ALLOWANCES .so paid and the
free services SO performed,"- Says the
commission, Involve in thce agGrc-
gate an Immense expenditure for
which the carriers must necessarily
be reimbursed through the rates ca
acted on the traffic Of tthengeneral
public. This operates as alfdiscrlnir
nation against the smaller tompeti-
tors Of the tsyorreed concerns, because
the benefit 81 such allo%ances and
free services can be enjoyed only by
The larger industries establishments
with plant railways. +s"i ~
FL Specific Instances "a
The commission says that during
the year ending June 80, 1912, the
Pennsylvania railroad paid 81. O19.-
90 in divisions out of the rate 10
only ten such industrial railways
connected with steel plants; the New
York Central's Western lines paid to
twelve such industrial railways an
aggregate OF s66O.057, while the Bal
timore and Ohio paid to thirteen such
concerns s530,317. Five Of these in
dustrial railways received the addi.
tional amount OF s1,059,274 in per
diem reclaims.
"ln many Of these cases the cash
revenues received by these plant rail-
ways out'aofI the rates Of the line
carriers are sufficient to lift from the
industries the entire cost Of theiF
operation" r.
gnIn many; instances the plant 'rai IL
way, also is able ito declare large dir-
tdends.on its stock held,by the indus
trys,1TThc. Baltimore and sparro@s
loint,, Railroad company. the plant
railroad of the Maryland Steel conf:
pnny. paid annual dividends on such
stock during the last eleven years
that aggregated more than 42a per
cent. and have ranged from 90 10 IS
per cent. q year."
Cannot Raise Rates Now.
The commission calls attention to
ihe relation OF these practices to the
rate advance asked for by the Eastern
railroads.
"Thc very carriers that are aug
menting their expense accounts and
iissipating their revenues" says the
commission. ITO the extent of many
millions of dollars a year and for the
hcncfit Of comparatively few ship
pers, are now complaining that their
present earnings are insufficient and.
cn that ground. have, asked our per-
mission to make a substantial In
crease in their general rate, schedules.
Ecforc they may fairly ask the gcn-
eral public to share furtlierin carry
Ing their burdens it is manifest that
The railroads mustlthcmselvcs prop
c-ly conserve their sources Of reye-
i nue. by making every service rem
dered bv them contribute reasonably