Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-28
|. &C. WILL REFUSE
INCREASED RATES
ASKED BY ROADS
Argument Of Injury Caused
by European War Fails
to Convince.
DECISION IN CASE SURE TO
COME WITHIN FEW DAYS
Not Able to Grant Concessions,
Owing to Unequivocal Ma
ture of Application:
MAY SUGGEST FORM OF RELIEF
Probably VIII Consent to Higher
Tariffs on Specified Com
niotiities.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch. !


WASHINGTON. November o7.--The
Interstate Commerce Commission VIII
natly refuse the per cent increase
In freight ratos asked by the rail-
roads in Eastern territory. according
to information to-day given a Times
Dispatch representative.
Owing TO the unequivocal nature OF
the railroads application the commits
sion will not be able to grant the con-
cession sought Under the law the
commission ls required to answer In
tile affirmative or negative
The commission may, however, in
dicate to the railroads that IL they
VIII flo now and higher tariffs on
specified commodities. not above a
stipulated amount. II will grant them.
although there exists considerable
difference of opinion as to the com
missions power to do this.
The railroads principal argument
the need OF increased rates. because
OF the injury to trade caused 10y the
European war-has failed to convince
the commission. for the reason that,
despite the war, the net revenue OF
the railroads is now higher than for
corresponding months OF last year
The decision In the case Is sure to
come within a few days. 1t proba bly,
will next week.
CONSIDERABLE GAINS ~
The information given here comes
from most authoritative source It
was pointed out to-day as significant
that the railroads asking for the in
crease In rates have. experienced con-
siderable gains in revenue In the past
eew month"; 1t was stated furthei
that the .sbrewdest officials of the
rallroYdA affected expect. privately,
that the abDiicatio,fAwiil, be turned
down. ;Fsss.s :siFr u :
1.-The latest figures available on E ne
EARNINGS of the; railroads lin the East
ern territory cover the month of Sep
.tember. and show that the net operat-
Ing revenue for the railroads for
which statistics were obtainable In
creased from s34,233.777 to ss7.1sS.2o7,
or from $605 to s6fS mile.
4 The increases IN net Operating
revenue occuE conspicuously In the
Eastern. district. and to some extent
In the Western district They doy not
occur in the southern district on ac-
count of; the paralysis OF the cotton
trade. The Eastern district. however.
is the only. one affected by the COM
mission. g.. edict. t
The notable Increases In revenue
were not obtained BY an increase In
business. but by%thc practice OF a num-
Der of" economies; suggested by. the
interstate nerceHCommiSsiOni in its
opinion in July. when it.granted ad-
vances in rates In central freight elias:
siiication territory. but refused them
In territory farther East. 1t Is sup
posed. therefore, that when business is
restored to normal activity. ands the
earnings are larger. the net rcvei1ne
OF the railroads Will correspondingly
be greater and more satisfying.
COMMISSION ASKED
TO REVERSE ITSELF
The very nature of the railroads
application In the case now under con-
sideratlon gave them particularly
hard argument. They did not ask for
specific increases, but requested that
the commission, which had already re-
fused their petition, should change It's
mind completely. and give them the
horizontal increase In rates.
To do this certain members of tho
commission would have to reverse the
stand they took earlier.
The original decision was reported
by a vote of 5 tot2, Commissioners Nc
Chord and Daniels being In favor Of
giving the railroads what they asked.
Assuming that Commissioners Nc
Chord and Daniels stick TO the same
opinion. this would require that two
OF the. other live change completely
over and side with them. Those who
have followed the case do not believe
this can happen