The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-13
FREIGHTRATES
ON HARD COAL
CUT$S,OOO,OOO
Interstate Commerce Com
mission Orders Big Reduc-
tiOn by Anthracite Roads.
HINT OF PROSECUTION
FOR REBATING GIVEN

commerce Commission to-day handed
do"n It's long expected opinion in the
case OF the anthracite railroads. The
commission orders reductions in the
freight rates on anthracite which IL is
estimated will deprive the hard coal
railroads Of about ss.oOO.O00 a year in
revenues.
The commissions cut amounts to Is
cents ton on shipments Of the So
called prepared sizes-stoye. chestnut
and egg coal-from the mines TO tide
water. and 10 cents ton on the smaller
sizes OF coal. These rates instead OF
being $3.50 and sI45 a ton will now be
S1.45 and sI.35.
The reductions to interior point. on
the hard coal roads are much larger,
ranging all the way from is to so cents
ton. The Delaware and Hudson Rail-
road Company's rate to Windsor, n. V.
for example. is cut from Sl.s5 TO SIS
cents ton, while the rate OF the Della
ware. Lackawanna and Western road to
Syracuse is reduced from sl.9O to $40.
The carriers affected by to-day's de-
cision were among those which obtained
some relief from the commission In the
recent per cent. general freight ad-
vance decision. They were included
among the Eastern carriers whose net
operating income according to the find
inss OF the commission in the per cent
case. were AS whole smaller than
is demanded in the public interest"
Offsets Relief Grant.
To-day's decision by the commission
will have the effect OF withdrawing from
the hard coal carriers a portion Of the
relief granted in the per cent. case.
The findings Of the commission are
very harsh on the anthracite roads. The
commission charges the roads with hav-
ing granted concessions and offsets to
their allied coal companies which, have
in effect been rebates in violation of
the law. In th,s connection the com.
mission serves notice that in several In
stances 1t has referred certain cases to
the Department OF Justice. presumably
with a view to the beginning OF crimi-
who have been responsible.
The case OF the Reading company and
that OF the Central Railroad OF New
Jersey are two to which reference Is
made as having been called to the at
tention OF the Attorney-Genera
The railroads involved In to-day's de-
cislon were
The Central OF New Jersey. the PhIla-
delphia and Reading. the Delaware
Lackawanna and Western. the Lehigh
Valley. the Erie, the Wilkesbarre and
Eastern. the New York. Susauehanna
and Western, the New York. Ontario and
Western. the Pennsylvania, the North
ern Central and the Delaware and
Hudson.
or these the Pennsylvania is the least
affected. Its rates to tidewater and 10
interior points. which were lower than
these Of Other roads. are not changed,
except in some OF the joint rates affect
ing the Northern Central.
Eject On the Consumer.
Opinions differ in Washington a. 10
the possible effect of the decision on the
price OF coal to the consumer II the
reduced rates are reflected fully in the
retail prices OF coal the saving on the
71.000.OOO tons that are mined each year
The belief here. however. Is that only a
small portion Of the reductio II any,
will be reflected in the pocketbook Of the
man who buys his winters supply of
coal.
The rates OF the Delaware and Hud-
son Railroad have been reduced relatively
more than those OF the other coal carry
ing roads
The handing down OF this decision
plainly created n painful impre ssion in
Administration circles. Fear was ex-
pressed that 1t would tend to undo some
Of the confidence that had asserted it.
self as regards railroads since the hand
ing down OF the favorable s per cent.
rate decision, The effect OF to-day's de-
cision upon the weaker OF the hard coal
carriers was a matter OF particular con-
cern to Administration officials.
IN addition to ordering "A reduction in
rates this decision puts into effect other
changes which are likely to have far
reaching effect on the relations Of the
anthra cite roads to their allied coal pro-
ducing companies. For one thing. the
hard coal carriers are ordered to es-
tablish through routes and publish Joint
rates. of which independent shippers may
avail themselves In way which will
offset the undue" advantages hereto
fore enjoyed by the operations OF the
railroads coal companies.
Orders End to Discrimination.
The commission also orders the rail-
roads to discontinue the practices which
they have followed In granting the ex-
elusive use OF their piers, docks and stor-
age plants to their allied compa MES at
"inadequate" rental charges and under
conditions which constitute a "discrim-
nation" in favor OF the railroad coal
companies
Some officials here were hopeful that
some OF the things ordered by the COM
mission might tend to increase the reve-
nues OF the railroads. operating as a
partial offset to the $4,000, 600 loss I'm
revenue. Inasmuch, however. as the rail-
roads themselves are interested In the
coal companieS any attempt to exSct
higher rentals from the latter companies
apparently will amount merely to the
transferring of money from one pocket
to the other.
No definite light could be obtained
here to-day on the relative effect of
the reduced rates upon the several an
thracite roads The best idea that could
he obtained as to what roads are ar
fected the most was from the figures
showing the proportion Of tho total
freight tonnage that is involved In tho
anthracite movement,
OF the total rIight tonnage OF the
Coutiuued 0n Efffh pdos