The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1915-04-03
THE CASE FOR
HIGHER RAILROAD
RATES IN THE WEST
Before the Interstate Com.
merce Commission,
Chicago.

III
reductions and strenuous competi
tiop between shipping center
have forced down the rates OF
commodities carried by western
railways, although the values O
the commodities have steadily ad
vanced and operating expenses
and taxes have risen, was de
scribed before the Insterstat,
Commerce Commission during tn.
past week by the roads which ar,
asking permission to increase Ger
tain of their most unremuDeratlvt
rates. From the entire readjust
ment asked it is hoped that the
Al systems, comprising 64 rail
ways running west and southw esl
of Chicago, may gain ABOUT $40,
600, 900 per year, or II per cent OF
last years freight revenue.
! Grain, live stock, packing
house products. fresh meat, hay
and broom corn were among the
articles Oh which the need OF
more revenue was explained to
Commerce Commissioners w M.
Daniels during the week. Traffic
officials took the stand with elabo
rate exhibits showing the down.
ward trend Of rates, while market
prices of the articles carried have
been bounding upward.
"Graiu is not paying its pro-
portion of the transportation
cost" testified e. B Boyd, Chair.
man OF the Western Trunk Line
Committee, regarding the propos-
Ell advance of l cent per hundred
pounds on grain, ''yet it is given
more consideration than any other
one article Of transportation in
the way of privileges and faciii-
ties. From It's very nature it
needs these privileges, for grain
shippers cannot market their pro
duct with the consumer, findlDg it
necessary to use storage markets..
"Present rates are the result of
rate wars in the past and various
rate reductions by legislatures
and commissions. The rates to.
day oa grain are lower than, or as
low az, they were ten years ago,
though everything has advanced
in value. Some years ago it took
three bushels of grain to pay for
given unit Of transportation aud
today it takes less than one bushel
to pay for the same service"
F p Eyman, Assistant Freight
Traffic Manager, Chicago & North
Western Railway, said that a
smaller portion of the market
value Of grain goes into the
freight rate today than ever be.
fore in history.
"In 1902" said he, "the rate
from tie Missouri river to Cbica.
go was 81 cents per hundred
pounds on wheat and Is cents a
hundred pounds on corn. By
1914 the rate had receded to 10
cents on wheat and 16 cents on
corn, while at the present time
the rate IL only 15a cents on
wheat and l43 cents on corn.
With the proposed advance of l
cent per hundred pounds, there
fore, the rate on wheat would be
l6a cents per hundred pounds
against 81 cents in 1902, while
that on corn would be only 153
cents against I8 cents in 1902.
.In the same time grain prices
have risen greatly. Iowa corn
from 1870 to 1879 averaged 25
cents per bushal, whereas Decem
Der !, 1913, before the war influ-
enne, it was 60 cents per bushel. |
Nebraska wheat, 1890 to 1899,
averaged 90 cents per bushel,
whereas December /, 1913, it was
II cents. Loss aud damage per
,ar of grain and grain products is
three times the average loss and
damage per car on all carload
freight.u
F. A. Leland, Chairman, South.
western Tariff Committee, testified
hat severe competition on pack
Dg house products has forced
lowD the rates, most of the ton.
mage beng controlled by half
iozen large packers, each with an
efficient traffic organization, seek
ng every advantage in rates and
service, any llne failing TO give
his serves losing the traffic
--4The advance of 81 cents PER
hundred pounds could not be Re-
1ected in the price of meat to the
+" said be. ssIt amounts
o only 1-33 Of cent per pound.
Packers generally change the
1rlce OF meat cent per pound at
] time, or 12d cents per hundred
pounds, almost four times the
mount now asked in the freight
ate.
ssPresent rates are far below
What they should be, considering
he very fast service needed, the
leavy cars and the expense Of ic-
Dg which is required. =
Proposed advances from Iowa