The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-09-24
REOPEN RATE CASE
AT ROADS REQUEST
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion May Reverse Itself On
Advance Denial President
May Have Paved Way.

Washington, d. c.. Sept. 21.-The In,
terstate Commerce commission today
decided to reopen the eastern advance
rate case and will begin hearings, hero
on October 10. A formal order 10 that
effect was prepared. ...... ~
The decision Of the commission comes
upon the recent application OF the
railroads which was made after Presi-
dent Wilson had received a representa-
tive committee of railroad presidents at
the White House. How far that con-
ference may have zone toward pre-
pairing the way for a reopening of the
case is not known. 1t was said at the
time that the railroad men asked the,
president to appeal to the country tot
treat the railroads in a spirit Of CO..
operation and the president responded
by sending a sympathetic letter to-
Chairman Frank Trumbull, 0 the
Chesapeake & Ohio. ""
The railroads also asked the COM
to modify its recent decision,
which granted increases west of Pitts
burgh and denied all increases between,
the Great Lakes and the Atlantic sea-
board. Under the law the commission
cannot modify hat order withouti
hearings; the decision to reopen the
al brings the whole question up
dRdln IOI EGNlGW III WHICH I16y TdllTOauSl
will press for the five per cent increases
throughout the territory east Of the
Mississippi and north of the Ohio and
Potomac rivers. IN
Western railroads already are pre-
pairing applications for increases in
freight rates, so that when the COM
mission begins the rehearing it will
have substantially before 1t applica-
tons for increased freight rates from
the Atlantic to the Pacific. T.
The eastern railroads asked for a
r~eopening, not upon the showing they.
made at the hearings prior to the de-
cision, but pom conditions which the
managers say have become apparent
since. The showing OF the roads for June
which was not available when the case
was before the commission last time
and the exigencies which have been
thrust upon them by the European war,
with the attendant difficulties of getting.
new capital and the falling off in ex-
port traffic, were cited as the princi-
pal reasons why the case should be
reopened. =
Shippers organizations, which fought
the increases previously, have given
notice that they will oppose further adj
Vances or the rehearing. They will Sct
represented by counsel and will have
opportunity to oppose new increases as
they did before. -
The increases the railroads ask areI
identical with those which were denied.
Although described as S per cent adj
vances, the COMMISSIONS recent deci-l
sion declared some Of them ranged as
high as 35 per cent. The principal
heavy commodities west of Pittsburgh,
Buffalo and Charleston, such as coal
and coke, which constitutes more than
half Of the total traffic Of the rail-
roads. will be affected.
All classes n commodity rates east
for which the commission denied in
a entirely, will be affected by, the
new case. '
The formal order Of the commission
follows: y
Upon consideration Of a petition by re-
spondents for modification of orders here
tofore entered In the above entitled cases.
and good cause appearing therefor: . ~
1t Is ordered that further hearings I'M
said cases be, and are hereby granted:t
said hearings to be limited to presenta-E
ton of facts disclosed and occurrencesl
originating subsequently to the date upon
which the records previously made I'M
cases were closed.
1t is further ordered that pending such!
rehearing and further order Of the COM
mission in the above entitled cases, the
heretofore entered therein shall remain,
in full force and effect. H
1t is further ordered that this proceed
ing be assigned for hearing at the office
Of the commission in Washington, ID. c.,
on the 18th of October, 1914, at 10 o'clock
a. m. .
It is further ordered that a copy Of this
order be served upon each of the parties
to the above entitled cases.