The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1914-06-19
ROADS WIN AND
LOSE RATE CASE
Flat Raise Denied, But Some
Increases Granted.
! TO 5 PER CENT IS GIVEN
Interstate Commerce Commission Will
Charge Conspiracy to Create
Sentiment for Proposal-Re-
port Ready in Month.

Washington, June 1.-THE salient
points OF the decision of the interstate
commerce commission on the petition
of the railroads of the eastern division
of the country for five per cent in
crease in rates are as follows:
1. The commission will deny the ap-
plication for fiat increase Of five per
cent
2. However, it will grant increases
ranging from one to five per cent and
perhaps higher on commodities now
transported below cost.
8. It will decline to make advances
on certain other commodities.
4. The public will be emphatically
warned that the increases ordered do
not justify any advance in the prices
of food or other necessities.
5. The railroads will be denounced
for engaging in gigantic conspiracy
to create public sentiment in favor
of the five per cent increase and
against the commission.
The task of making equitable rates
upon the thousand upon thousand COM
modities is a tremendous one, and is
responsible for the delay of the COM
mission in filing it's decision. Frequent
ly a change in the rate for the trans
portation of one commodity affects the
rates upon hundreds of others.
The commission has completed part
of the work. But vast amount re-
mains to be done. It is not believed
the commission will be able to report
much before a month.
For example, as result of an inves-
tigation and an order issued as a re-
suit thereof by the commission, some
thing like $1S,OOO,000 was saved an
nually to the coal-carrying railroads Of
West Virginia Obviously these roads
do net need any advance in rates.
Then, again, if the average Of five
per cent were granted, the increase
would be less than five per cent in
many cases and more than that in
others, running as high as so and go
per cent.
Moreover, the commission realized
that If a fat increase in rates were
given to the eastern roads, the car
riers of the North, West and South
would demand the same concession.
The effect would be to impose upon
the country heavy burden and to
cause a general advance in prices on
necessities of life. The commission
would feel derelict in it's duty If it
were to authorize anything of the kind,
especially in view of the fact that
some of the railroads do not need an
increase upon certain kinds of freight
which they now transport at big
profit.
So after careful del;beration with
the interests of the whole country con-
sidered, the commission decided to
make an increase upon rates for given
commodities. By it's action it is salts
fed it will remove from the machinery
of business the monkey wrench which
it holds was thrown into the wheels
by "big business.
The advances to be made on the
commodities will be such as to remove
all cause fol complaint on the part of
the railroads that they are being
driven to the wall by the harsh atti-
tude of the commission. They will
not have as the excuse for policy of
retrenchment the claim that they are
being ground down by the commission.
On the other hand, the public will
not be defrauded. The commission, in
its decision, will make absolutely clear
the fact that the increase in rates does
not justify any raise in prices. If the
grocer, the butcher and the candle
stick maker seek to boost prices on
the ground that they have to pay more
for the transportation of the goods
they sell, the public will know that
their action is absolutely without justi-
fication.