Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-07-09
ALMOST A CERTAINTY THAT s
PER CENT BLANKET IN.
CREASE WILL BE REFUSED.
PERMISSION TO be GRANTED
TO INCREASE CERTAIN RATES
Commission Probably viii Grant
Higher Tariffs on Specified Com
nodities - Decision Of Board to Be
Satisfactory to Iowa - Point Out
Avenues Of Retrenohment.

Special to IlmeS- RepuOuCdn.
Des Moines. July S-While it has been
announced from Washington, with
much show of plausibility, that the
interstate commerce commission has
not, or had not week ago, reached
any conclusion final assto the famous
advanced rate case, that no vote nao
been taken on the decision, that many
perpIexing questions had come up. etc.
yet a good year Of gossip has leaked
out some Of it undoubtedly with foun-
dation, and practically all of it tending
to show that when the decision Is an
nounced it will be a great victory for
the western railroad commissions and
western shippers and more nearly sus-
tain them than any othed parties to
the suit.
Announcement of decision is almost
certain before the week has closed.
Decision Forecast.
One of the latest announcements, on
the side, was that in the matter of ar
irving at conclusion as to the need OF
advances in rates on certain commod-
tiles. taken separately, the commission
was without much guidance, that
counsel for the railroads submitted
very little evidence in rebuttal of that
Of shippers, and in some instances
none at all. with the result that while
the commission feels that advances
should be granted on some of these
commodities the record before 1t shows
strongly the reaSonabienesS OF exist
ing rates. If this information is good.
and it fits in well with much else that
Is said to have leaked out, the commits
sion is going to DO just what western
shippers contended should be done.
What seems to have been the best
forecast OF what the commission Will
actually do Is summarized as follows:
Refusal Of petition OF eastern rail-
roads for blanket or horizontal 8 per
cent advance in freight rates.
admission that the railroads in the
Central Freight Association territory
are entitled to increased net earnings.
"Permission to increase unremuner-
alive rates upon specified commodities
exclusive of salt, lumber, iron ore and
coal.
"Indication of avenues Of retrench-
ment and OF increasing revenues by
charging for services now performed
free by the carriers"
Satisfactory to Iowa.
II 1t should turn out that this fore
cast is substantially correct then the
outcome will be highly satisfactory IN
Iowa among the shippers and others
who have become interested in the.case.
Their main contention. and. In fact.
the only one on which they bore down
heavily. was that there was no excuse
for the proposed blanket increase OF
rates on all comm ODDITIES and in all
classes of freight solely because OF a
showing of need Of more net revenue.
It was on this point that Chairman
Thorne, of Iowa, and Mr.. Brandeis OF
Boston, separated. and the position of
the former was shown when he said
to the commission is the conclusion OF
his printed argument replying to the
Brandeis concession:
'Not one basic fact. not one PROPOSE
ton, not one argument, that have adj
vanced thruout the entire proceedings,
in support of my position as to the
revenues of the carriers as whole in
the eastern district, has been answered
either by Mr.. Brandeis or by the rail-
roads. They have not even attempted
an answer. The position have taken
is absolutely unassailable-just as 1t
was in 1910 Mr. Brandeis, today, as in
1910. offers a temporary palliative. a
instead of discussing the
merits of the great case at issue.
Mr. Brandeis made able comments upon
the questions of burden of proof and
the power of the commission to con-
slider the reasona bleness of a system of
rates, or Individual rates. If he had
confined his position to the claim that
the evidence established justification
for a separate investigation concern
ing central freight association terri
tory: and second. that evidence had
for certain special services rendered by
the carriers, were inadequate. then we
would have been In entire accord. But
when Mr.. Brandeis went further than
that and made blanket concession
that the revenues of the carriers as a
whole are inadequate, then we take
square issue with him and demand the
facts and reasons for the conclusion.
Even the opinion of Brandeis is not
unless it is based on sound
Thorne Stands Alone.
This stated clearly the line of divere-
ence in the final argument before the
IL Will NC seen INaL as TO
the need of some adjustments in Cen
trail Freight Association territory
eastward from Chicago-there was
agreement all round. Both the counsel
for the commission and the counsel for
the western shippers agreed as to pos
slpility of more revenue by cutting out
certain free services. The matter of
raises In certain classes or commodities
was little discussed. And, according to
latest surmises. it is this paucity of in
formation regarding the proposed COM
modify increases that is causing the
delay in decision.
But as to the need of more revenue to
be raised by a horizontal increase in all
rates. Mr.. Thorne stood practically
alone at the finish in opposing this
proposal.
= The eastern newspapers report that
LOCAL DRUGGIST MAKES
"a ARAAJNy inprN,c@