The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-16
RAISE FREIGHT RATE

Il
crease in Interstate freight rates will
| be based on testimony offered before
| the commission in the passenger
rates case. The case involves directly
| the reasonableness of Kansas rates
and the railroads will use the Same
methods of attack as those employed
in the passenger cases.
| Charges are filed that rates in Kan
saS have been established without an
| investigation or consideration of con-
ditions 1t is charged that the rates
adopted and enforced under orders of
| the state utilities commission are con-
fiscat tory and have resulted in heavy
losses TO the railroads.
| While the railroads have been I'M
able, as they claim, to earn just re-
| Enumeration from Kansas freight rates,
they have been regulated, supervised,
| restricted and controlled until they
have suffered heavy losses. Petitions
| filed with the commission point to
| heavy expenses for safety devices,
modern equipment and better service.
| Rapidly increasing expense for labor
| is also urged as one of the reasons
| for an increase in rates. Another
| reason advanced by the railroads con-.
Germs the increase in taxes, which the
railroads urge has amounted to fifty
per cent since 1900. In view of these
| increases, it is pleaded that the rail-
roads have been denied a right to
advance rates in keeping with their
growing expense.
The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
railraod took the lead in the initial
fight today to secure a 90 per cent
! freight increase on intraState paSSen-
ger business To their petition for a
higher freight rate, the railroads at
tached a schedule setting forth losses
under rates now in effect. In this Pc
tition it is urged that the roads have
been compelled to suffer heavy losses
in the three year period covered by
| the showing.
The Santa FEES Showing.
| Santa Fe showings of intrastate
freight and passenger business for
1913 amounted to $6,123, 50O.27. in
and s5,694,061.S3 in 1915. Intrastate
freight business during the three year
period is shown to have been: So
646,9S5.26 for 1913; $3,SOs, S21.14 for
1914 and $3.O67, 02799 for 1915.
Losses in intrastate freight business
during the three year period, amount
ed to $467, 225.S5 for the Santa Fe, the
! schedule shows. The loss for 1913 is
given at $17S,501.61; for 1914, $21O,-
1929, and for 1915. $7S,013.95. These
losses are Independent of six other
roads which claim deficits under exist
| ing rates.
Based on the desired increases in
rates, the Santa Fe claims that it
should have earned 2.35 per cent on
! intrastate freight business in 1913;
1894 per cent in 1914 and go in 1915.
! The increases would have meant to the
Santa Fe, $651,6S7.s1 in 1913, $780,
| 1926 in 1914 and 1868, 650.0S in 1915,
| or an increase for the three year
/ period of $1,S26, 25715.
In addition to the general twenty
per cent increase in intrastate rates,
the seven Kansas lines ask that rates
/ for lump coal be increased to eighty
per cent of the lump coal rate. The
greatest increase is asked on the rate
for crude oil. An increase of 121 per
crease of SO a per cent on petroleum.
rates.
Heavy increases in expenses are
! charged by the railroads as one of the
| reasons for an immediate demand for
higher freight rates. A schedule filed
by the Missouri Pacific asserts that
taxes have increased fifty per cent
since 1900 and that wages of all en-
ployees have increased 80. % per cent
without a corresponding increase in
revenues or rates. The Missouri Pa
cific schedule shows a fifteen year
increase of Sc per cent in wages paid
to railway engineers. SO per cent in
crease in wages to firemen. As per cent
employees, 20 per cent for trainmen
and 20 per cent for machinists.
An effort will be made to force
hearing on the freight rate case when
! the intraStat passenger rate case is
called in Topeka February 30 A de-
| cision in the freight rate case will also
be sought when the passenger rate
case is determined. Should the rates
be denied. it is asserted that the rail-
roads will then take their cases into
| the courts.