The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-12-24
ROADS WIN INCREASE
FIVE PER CENT ADVANCE GRANT
Ed EXCEPT ON SOME CON-
MoDlTIEs.
AMOUNTS TO ssO,OOo,oOo
Consequences Of the War Held by
Commerce Commission to Give
Ground for Raising Income Of Lines
Between Atlantic and Mississippi.

Washington, Dec. 21.-Increases in
freight rates approximating five per
cent on 1923 railroads. comprising all
the lines between the Atlantic sea-
board and the Mississippi, north OF the
Potomac and Ohio rivers, were grant
ed by the interstate commerce commits
sion in a divided opinion, excepting on
certain heavy commodities, which
comprise large bulk Of the traffic.
The increases will further apply to
the railroads west of Buffalo and Pitts
burgh, which we're granted partial ad-
vances in the decision of last August
which denied them altogether to the
roads east of those points.
II is estimated the advanced rates
will increase the annual income OF the
roads about $3O.OOO,OO0.
The commission made its decision
upon the showing of the railroads that
in addition to conditions from when
they previously asked relief they now
are confronted with an emergency be-
cause of the war in Europe.
After further consideration the COM
mission permits advances to be made
also on cement, starch, brick. tlle'
clay and plaster. On these commodi'
ties no advances were permitted by
the decision of August l.
The commission was divided on the
question of granting the railroads ap-
peal Commissioners Clements and
Harlan dissented from the opinion OF
the majority. The decision. in part,
was as follows:
an view of the tendency toward
diminishing net operating income, as
shown by the facts described. we are
Of the opinion that the net operating
income of the railroads in official
classification territory, taken as a
whole, is smaller than is demanded in
the interests of the general public and
the railroads, and 1t is our duty and
our purpose to aid so far as we legally
may. in the solution of the problem as
to the course that the carriers may
pursue to meet the situation"
The commission did not acQuiesce
In the carriers proposal Of general
increase, as indicated in the tarifi
filed by them, but suggested various
methods by which they might properly
conserve their revenues.
For various reasons we shall except
from the proposed increase the fol
lowing rates:
81. Rail-lake.and-rail, lake-and-rail and
rail-and-lake rates. 1t is shown on tht
record that since the rail carriers &C
quired ownership and control of th'
lake lines successive increases hav'
been made in the rates via lake tend
ing to essen the differences betweeI
them and the all-rail rates.
80. Rates on bituminous coal ant
coke. Not long since these rates wer,
investigated and maximum rates wer
prescribed by the commission Th
key rates upon bituminous coal-th
rate from the Pittsburgh district t
Youngstown, and the rate on lake cal
go coal to Ashtabula, have been fixe'
in the light of the various factor
which entered into the transportation
of such coal The prevailing rate
are remunerative, and the financia
condition of the principal bituminou
coal carriers is in marked contras
; with that Of many other carriers Il
official classification territory,
"3 Rates on anthracite coal an
' iron ore, largely because they are bt
, fore us in review in other proceeding:
a 4. Rates held by unexpired order
Of the commission"