The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-02
RATE DECISION
Is HEAVY BLOW
E0R RAILROADS
lComtinued Erom I1Lrst pasc.l

Continued From First PaSc)
the advances to the extent tina, they
have lines running from the East over
into tho territory in which the adj
ranccs apply.
Coal which alone comprises moro
than onc-half the total traffic of the
railroads. will have no advance Neither
VIII coke. brick, tile. clay. starch. &C.
mcnt. iron orc ana plaster. Neither
VIII there DO any increase on lake and
rail rates
\ summary OF tho decision prepared
by tho commission follows:
The contention of the railroads that
thcr revenues under the present scale
OF rates arc Inadequate is sustained
the commission saving that the opcr
atinS Income of the railroads in Of
fetal classification territory, taken ~
whole. is smaller than is demanded
in the interest of both the general pub.
lie and the railroads.
The present financial difficulties OF
tho railroads arc recognized by the
commission as a problem, not only OF
the railroads, but OF tho public. which
II Is the duty OF the commission to
help TO solve. On this point the COM
mission says, speaking OF the need of
the carriers for additional revenues
that 1T Is our duty and purpose TO
aid as far as We legally may in the
solution of the problem as to the
course carriers may pursue TO meet
the situation
The commission points out that tic
official classification territory embraces
three rate territories. known as the
New England territory, lying cast OF
the Hudson River: the trunk line ter
ritory. lying between tho New Eng
land territory and the Bufalo-Pitts-
burSh line, and the Central Freight
Association territory. lying between
the Buffalo Pittsburgh line and the
Mississippi River. and that tho finan-
cial and traffic conditions Of the rail
roads operating in these three rate
territories differ widely. The commits
sion finds that the rates in Central
Freight Association 'tcrritory. as
whole are not only lower than the
rates in either trunk line or New
England territory, hut that they arc
lower than the rates In any other part
OF the United states. If the average
freight rate had been rs high on the
Central Freight Association territory
lines as OF tho roads in trunk line ter
ritory. the former would have earned
in 1913 100000 moro than they
actually did. and that the twenty
eight representative roads in Central
Freight Association territory, which
arc most In need, would have earned
$40 600 900 more
HAVE LARGE TEHRITORl
IN CENTRAL ASSOCIATION
The three great trunk lines have
td'ii Il idiEt illiittEt III ''illTdi IItlSui
Association territory. SO that their
revenues vii be augmented by rate in-
crcascs in that territory. Thus. OF the
New York Central systems 1880 miles
Of line, S,"3S or more than two thirds.
are in Central Freight Association
territory. Nearly one half Of the mile
agc OF the PENNSYLVANIA system is
also in that territory, and more than
one half OF the Baltimore and Ohio.
The Erie. the Chesapeake and Ohio
and tho Norfolk and Western also
have important mileage in Central
Freight Association territory. The
systems in trunk line territory which
have no mileage IN Central Freight
Association territory are in large part
roads with large anthracite coal trdf-
iiC. and they are very prosperous.
Tile commission finds that tho class
rates effective in Central Freight AZ
ISOLATION territory are so low that an
increase Of j.. per cent would clearly
not he uurcasona bic. hut points out
that class rate structure in that ter.
ritory IL hon"ycombcd with incousia.
teucics.'