The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-22
WEST IS EXPECTED
TO ASK INCREASE
Raise in Rates in Eass Leads Ship
pers 20 Expect That Similar
Jump WIN be Given
Westerners
RAILROAD MEN DIFFER
Effect Of Tariff However, Will be 70
Stimulate Business, IL. 10
Agreed by Most Of the
Experss-

The VICTORY OF the eastern roads In
gaining advances in freight rates by
the ruling of the interstate commerce
commission Friday viii encourage
the western roads to advance rates
also on the hope that they will be
sustained by the nationa, commission.
according to E. G. Wyiie. freight rate
expert OF the Greater Des Moines
committee The western lines have
already begun the upward movement
and the rate men are anticipating that
many more tariffs will be fled pro
Ysding for advances
Clifford Thorne. chairman Of the
Iowa railroad commission. was in
conference yesterday at the state
house with Chairman Clark OF the Ne
braska railroad commission an6 o. G.
Powell, chief accountant OF the Ne
braska commission, with reference to
the western rate advances, says the
Des Moines Register and Leader. The
roads have filed tariffs raising more
than ], 600 rates. All OF them have
been suspended pending hearing be-
fore the interstate commerce commits
sion.
In the western territory. the rate
men say, there is no scientific adjust
ment Of rates as In the east. there
fore the roads can not ask for a fat
or 10 percent increase in rates.
The advance is brought about by In
dividuai raises on hundreds OF COM
modities. They express it as clip
ping the dogs tail little at
time
The eastern advance will cause the
shippers OF Iowa to pay out thousands
of dollars additional In freight rates.
the shippers assert. No estimate OF
! the total has keen made.
| In the eastern case it is asserted by
rate men that Clifford Thorne made a
srnicient defense in their opinion for
denial OF the advance in rates
However. the increases were made
on the strength OF decreased revenue
by reason OF the war. While the east
ern advances are said TO be for tenn
porary relief. the shippers declare
that temporary things sometimes exist
always, and that reductions, IL Sc
cured, will only be after terrific
hattie, for they expect the reads to
fight against letting go OF their adj
vantage
One sees No Change.
Ofscials OF several roads predicted
an immediate resumption Of buying
J. by the railroads. starting not later
than the first OF the year. One oni-
cial expressed 1t as his opinion that
| the western roads would not ask for
an Increase. The benefits from the
eastern ruling will be sufficient, he
saws to satisfy the western roads, for
time at least. A contrary opinion
was given by F. W. Sargent. attorney
1 for Iowa for the Rock Island.
] THE favorable ruling in the east
indicates that equally fair considera-
ton will be given the western roads
where the need OF such an increase
! in freight rates is much more urgent,
he said. The need Is greater be-
cause the total tonnage Is far below
that OF the eastern roads and the ex-
! uense OF operating in the west Is as
great or greater than it is in the east.
/ The western states through which
these roads operate have passed laws
much more drastic in their regulating
effect than those under which the
eastern roads operate.
/ Another point advanced rs indica-
tive OF the necessity to the roads
west OF the Mississippi for permission
to raise their rates was the fact that
practically all OF them have cut down
/ thetr dividends steadily with the in
crease in the expenses OF operating
ana that there has been no possibil-
tity OF making the profits formerly
made
| Figures were presented to show
that II the arbitration now being
heard in Chicago between the rail-
roads and the engineers ana firemen
vere decided in favor OF the increase
In salary for the trainmen, the in
crease in expense to the roads would
he moro than s5s.0o0.o0 or more
than the total dividends of all the
roads for any one year. This threat
ened Increase in expenses, together
with the 400 percent increase in taxes
In the last ten years shows a positive
necessity for an increase In rates. at
/ ieast "a large as that given the east
ern roads. according to a number OF
railroad men interviewed on the ques-
tion-