Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-14
COMMUTERS RENEW
THEIR FIGHT FOR
LOWER R. R. RATES
File Application for Another
Hearing Before Public
Service Commission, De-
spite Ruling on Saturday.

| SSAtC NNaAA 5 vi
Declaring that the decision Of the
Pennsylvania Public Service Commission
in the railroad passenger increase case
last Saturday is unfair and unreasonable
to the riding public and that the Penn
sylvania, the Philadelphia and Reading
and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Companies are given new opportunities
to mulct commuters. steps were taken to-
day by various commuters associations
TO fight the case to the limit.
Application for a new hearing was filed
with the Public Service Commission at
Harrisburg by Edwin NJ Abbott, repre-
senting the Philadelphia and Reading
Railway Commuters Association, and by
]. y. V. Titus, president Of the Bala-
Cwnyd Improvement Association.
In addition TO this the United States
Attorney General was notified that during
the hearing last Saturday officials of the
three railroads admitted on the witness
stand there had been meetings between
the trafiic officials of the three roads
prior to the announcement of the new
schedules.
1t was further shown that one witness
admitted the company by which he was
employed had the proposed tariffs Of the
competing company in their possession
bNtNAN AhNN UtClueu upon lne rate
changes which should be made, Upon
this, 1t was set forth, n charge of con-
spiracy and collusion should be based.
Upon this testimony the Attorney GEN
eral was asked that, II the testimony war
ranted II, he begin proceedings at once
against the officials of the Pennsyl-
vania, the Philadelphia and Reading and
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad COM
panies charging them with violation of
the provisions of the Sherman antitrust
act
COMMUTERS STAND.
In the petition filed with the Public
Service Commission for new hearing.
two specific points i'm the ruling of the
commission are opposed. These are:
THAT the revised schedule of the in
crease OF rates of fare for the fOO-trlp
communication tickets on a fiat basis of
~ cents per mile to all stations along
the various branches of the said PhiIa-
delphia and Reading Railway Company
are unfair, unreasonable and unwar-
ranted
That the limitation of the said new
1OO-trip communication tickets at the afore-
sald advanced prices on the fiat III cents
per mile basis, with Limitation to use for
SIX months, is unfair, unreasonable and
unwarranted."
we do not propose to stand still and
allow the railroads to mulct the people
Wlthout redress Mr.. Abbott declared
this morning. I'VE are going 10 1ght
fight, fight" e'S'
The New Jersey Public Utilities Com
mission this morning toop UP considera-
tloh or the rate increase within the con-
hnes OF the state of New Jersey. Several
weeks ago the commission ordered the
rallrcads to suspend the proposed rates
until march 10, pending formal investi- !
cation
WILL CHANGE INTERSTATE RATES.
Today counsel for the railroads made
formal argument against the suspension.
that the companies are fully
warranted in increasing the rates. Coun-
sci for the Pennsylvania Railroad also
announced that following the decision of
the Pennsylvania Commission his COM
pany would voluntarily put in force on
passenger service from points
IN New Jersey to Philadelphia the same
rates the Pennsylvania Commission has
ordered shall be retained there.
Under this decision 1OO-trip tickets will
be placed back on sale in interestate
-raVel at III cents a mile. 6O-trip monthly
tickets will be sold at an advance of %
'ents 4S-trip monthly tickets at an ad-
vance OF 20 cents and ten-trip tickets AT
cents a mile,
william Carey Marshall and Edwin G.
:. Bleakley City silicltor of Camden.
the commuters, requested the
commission not to repeal the order sus-
lending the increase until March 10. On
losing the claims OF the railroad attor-
leys' they declared that the proposed .
hanges mean Increases from 1S to 100
er cent.
Commuters and other persons who in
end to travel some distance on the rail-
Dads soon fairly besleged the terminals
,Hu the various suburban stations OF the
'ennsylvania, the Philadelphia ana Read
ng and the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
cad Companies today to stock up with
lckets before the new rates approved bv
ne Public Service Commission Saturday
ecome effective.
While the decision of the commission
'as nrst hailed as a great victory for the
ommuters. application at the various
has proved that rates approved
y the commission stand as a eompro-
Mise between what the railroads planned
~
luters claimed was just
The commuters, too, are wondering how |
happened that the Interstate Commerce
commission ordered the same changes as
he Pennsylvania commission two days
efore the Pennsylvania commission met
nd why none but the railroads knew
I 1t.
The first indication that the Interstate
onHneree Commission has made any rul-
lg on the rate question came when the
blowing statement was found stamped
n the communication tariffs OF the Penn
ylvanfa Railroad, which arc 70 become
neetive tomorrow:
Issued under special permission Of the
nterstate Commerce Commission. No.
4lS, of December TO- 1914. and under the
rder OF the Public Service Commission
the Commonwealth OF Pennsylvania.
'ecember i2, 1914"
PRINTED TARIFFS ALL READY.
The fact that the three railroads have
le new tariffs prepared in printed form,
though the decision OF the Public Service
commission was not rendered until late
aturoay afternoon, Is exciting consider
Die comment among the Commuters. The
lestlon IS being asked openly whether
Ne railroads really knew beforehand uyhaf
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