Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-09-24
REOPEN RATE CASE
ROADS REQUEST
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion May Reverse Itself On
Advance DeniaI--President
May Have Paved Way.

Washington, D. c., Sept. 21.-The In
decided to reopen the eastern advance
rate case and will begin hearings here
on October 10. A formal order to that
effect was prepared.
The decision of the commission comes
upon the recent application of the
railroads which was mad after Presi-
lent Wilson had received a representa-
tive committee of railroad presidents at
the White House. How far that con
ference may have m 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 to
treat the railroads in a spirit of CO.
operation n h president responded
by sending a sympathetic letter to
Chairman Frank Trumbull, of the
Chesapeake & Ohio.
The railroads also asked the COM
mission to modify it's 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 that order without
hearings; he decision to reopen the
case brings the whole question up
again lbI IeNlGW III WHICH llG fdllfOduS
| will press for the five per cent increases
throughout the territory east of the
| Mississippi and north of the Ohio and
Potomac rivers.
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 it applica-
tons for increased freight rates from
the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The eastern railroads asked for q
reopening, not upon the showing they
made at the hearings prior to the de-
cision, but upon conditions Which the
anage 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
nj 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
r~eopened.
Shippers organizations, which fought
the increases previously, have given
notice that they will ppose further ad-
vaEces on the ~rehearing. They will be
represented by counsel and will nave
they did before.
The increases the railroads ask are
Identical with those which We're denied
Although described as 5 per cent ad.
yances, the commissions recent deci.
sion declared some of them ranged as
high as 35 per cent. The %principa.
heavy commodities west of Pittsburgh
Buffalo and Charleston, such as Goa
and coke, which constitutes more thar
half of the total traffic Of the rail
roads, will be affected.
All classes n commodity rates east
for which the commission denied in.
creases entirely. will be affected by the
new case.
The formal order OF the commission
follows:
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 IL
said cases be, and are hereby granted
said hearings to be limited to presenta
ton of facts disclosed and occurrence
originating subsequently to the date upol
which the records previously made ii
these cases were closed.
1t is further ordered that pending src]
rehearing and further order of the com
mission in the above entitled cases, TIL
commissions report, findings and order
heretofore entered therein shall renal,
in full force and effect.
1t is further ordered that this proceed
ing be assigned for hearing at the offc
of the commission in Washington. D.. G
on the 10th of October, 1914, at 10 o'cloc
a. m.
1t is further ordered that a copy of thi
order be served pom each of the partie
to the above entitled cases.