South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-19
WILL NOT BOOST
COST Of LIVING
Most of Increase Will be Met
by Manufacturers. Says
Prominent Men-WiII be
Help to Business.

NEW YORK. Dec. 19.-J C. Lin
coin. traffic manager OF the Merchants
association OF New York
SO far as the rate decision affects
he consumer. anything that adds 90
the cost OF handling freight must add
% the cost OF consumption but the
increase VIII not fall entirely on the
consumer The manufacturer must
stand his share, the jobber his and lv
the time il reaches the consumer the
tax viii not be 50 heavy as 10 attract
attention, in nay opinion"
j. g. Mallin. manager for Austin
Nichols x Co. wholesale grocers
The consumer naturally pays the
freight but L believe he viii be the
last 10 feel the effect. / do not believe
II Is a fair staten ent 20 SAY that anv
particular person Will pay all. We AL
must bear part OF the burden, If IL
Is burden.
7 have not had time 10 fully digest
the text of the decision. but I believe
the increase is so small an item that
il Is hard 10 figure how IL is TO eventu-
ally prove a particular burden TO the
consumer. In fact I believe that 30
per cent of the increase Will he borne
by the manufacturers and the iobbers
l believe that il Will be SO split that IL
viii not be a tax at all
J. II. Appel manager for John
Wanamaker:
Will Help Business.
II believe the rate increase is going
10 improve the business situation and
help the country at large and every
business man I'm il Railroads are the
foundation OF tho country and they
must add to their equipment or 20
out of business. \ railroad cannot
stand still. For that reason the rate
Increase will do much 10 assist them
n -farnnr.
ments will give employment 20 many
men now unemployed and i'm the end
the business man viii bee the one 10
receive the benefit
The increase Will not affect the cost
of living 1t is like the war tax. il
amounts TO a great sum in the aggre-
gate, but everyone pays only a small
part. 1t viii not affect the cost OF
goods in our stores and the public viii
in no way know there has been "a
rate increase SO far as we are con-
cerned."
Howard Elliott president of the
New York, New Haven and Hartford
Railroad Co.
Il have not seen the fun text OF th,,
decision, but / understand am advance
of five per cent has been granted upon
certain rates and upon certain. COM
mOditieS.
The five per cent does not apply
on all of the freight business OF the
company and this should be clearly
understood in considering the effect
of the decision.
Increase il Small.
The freight earnings OF the com
pany for the year ending June go,
1914, were S33.476.63925: five per
cent Of that sum would he S1.623.-
S3l96.
Careful calculations. however. in
dictate that the increase in the gross
freight earnings of the New Haven
railroad because OF the decision OF the
commerce commission. will be less
than $25O,0OO per year and probably
not be much i'm excess of $500. Gee "a
year on the present volume OF bust
ness
80 far this fiscal year the freight
earnings of the company have de-
creased $1,399. 900.
we are gTatihed 10 have the COM
mission recognize the necessity OF in
creasing freight rates and we are glad
TO have even this modest increase
The aggregate sum, however. =
not very large compared with the to-
tai decrease in freight earnings al
ready sustained since July q"
James Butler, president of the
James Butler. Inc. wholesale grocers:
Il do not believe the consumer will
be affected greatly by the rate in
crease. I know il viii not cause any
increase in the price Of goods in our
stores. We viii stand the increase
and give the consumer the benefit OF
it, The country should Zoe greatly
benefited"