Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-10-20
PROPOSED RAISE
FREIGHT RATES
Will AFFECT ALL
Traffic Bureau Shows That
Situation is Most Serious
That Has Arisen.

President II. c. Fox and Commits
sioner w. NJ. Taylor of the Pine Bluff
Traffic bureau have mailed to all
members Of the organization, and to
other shippers in this immediate
territory, letter telling of the action
that has been taken by the bureau
relative to the action Of the railroads
in seeking to put higher freight rates
into effect, and directing the atten-
ton of the bureau members to the
fact that the present situation IS
without doubt the most serious that
has developed since the organization
Of the bureau.
The letter which was mailed yes
terday, says in part;
Fighting Memphis Case.
at has been deemed advisable to
make some report to the member,
of the bureau on what is called the
Memphis case The Importance Of
doing this is to acquaint you with the
seriousness of the situation, as it
affects every firm OF individual citl
zen in the state Of Arkansas and for
the further reason that we wish you
to know that the bureau as an inst
tuition representing every itiZen Of
Pine Bluff is giving its undivided
time and attention to the matter iii
hand.
"The Memphis case is the result
of petition filed with the inter
state commerce commission in OctO-
Der, 1914, asking for lower rates from
Memphis TO Arkansas. Your bureau
was the prime mover in the forma
ton Of a statewide association to aD-
pear in behalf CT the Arkansas in
terests before the interstate COM
merce commission when that body
heard the case. 1t can be said that
by reason of this organized effort,
tie decision in the case was put off at
least one year. This relief in and
of itself was OF great value to the
citizens of the state when the gen
ereal effect of the decision as finally
handed down is understood
All Rates Are Raised.
On May g. 1916. the interstate
commerce commission rendered its
opinion in this case, the substance Of
which was TO order the carriers 70
increase the rates that now apply be-
tween points in Arkansas to the same
level as the rates that now apply
from Memphis to Arkansas. The ef-
feet of this decision removes forever
from the state. the jurisdiction by
it's legislative bodies in the making
of rates and charges that shall be
applied by the railroads between
points in the state of Arkansas. The
commission also instructed the car
riers to remove certain disc ~Imlna-
tons at such points as Jonesboro
and Hoxie, Ark, that existed in the
rates between St. Louis and Memphis.
"The present status Of the case is
that the railroads, supposedly in con-
forming TO what the interstate conf
merce commission said, in their opin-
ions, have submitted to the commits
sion mass of rates to apply, first,
from Memphis to Arkansas points,
second, between points in the state
of Arkansas; and third, from st.
Louis and East St. Louis to points in
Arkansas.
All Glasses Affected.
"The figures are the result of five
months elaboration by the Arkansas
railroads and very naturally require
thoro and painstaking effort to ana
I'VE by your representatives,. Our
analysis of these figures shows that
not only will the rates on every class
and commodity he advanced between
points in Arkansas to the same lever
as the rates that apply from Memphis,
but that the rates from Memphis amt
st. Louis will be advanced thereby,
increasing the freight rates on all
classes and commodities from the
great producing territory east OF the
Mississippi river, from which we re
oeive possibly 60 ger cent OF the com
modities that we consume. and this