The Cordova daily times., 1917-07-18
Interstate Commerce Hearinq


 The Daily Times is in receip. of a printed copy of the decision recently ha,do1 Gcw1 by the Interstate Cem- morce Commission in he famous Al aska Investigator recently decided by that bc&y ir fav5r f J,o various carriers and c.:roratio,-s male dc f9. dent; r. th.. acton. T. p-oco d. !-Ss w@,c begun shortly befc-e c:.c- sT-: l"s: fla by Dcloga.o James W'ck- C. 1'am ':a cfter the complaint ,,Sd tdan f.icd by MT. WicEorai the CtmmiG-iol roon its own met.cn ,n- s.itut5d a sn. ching inquiry in.o t':e wi'o,c sabjcct Of rd.c2, trs fife re;a-
 !ti:s, !: !, .-r-- cpc::',s-:;t..5f, < ;t.5f, problems in s;st tor:.:.r.:.'y. Trc Alaska Ssoomchip
 mp -y.t.- , ccppc-' River ard N ,rth- w-stc": Rclw:y Ccmpcry, tho Koa- :ncct Copper Cooperation, tho Paci- f'e -Alaaka: Navigat.oa Company, tre Pscif:c CGa.t s;cc cmss:p Company, t,a Northern Ncyigat.oa Company, t'1c Northern Commercial Company, -.!1 We P:ss anl Yukon Railway
 1m3-..y, :"d several otkcr compS.c- ls VI knowss. throughout the Tcrr- g y, we msGe parties C:fcIaa:.t> in
 s}t sgtt.
 The decision wac handed down by Commissioner Edgar E. Clark, and is l3t only an interesting document but ls full of highly instructive informa. t.bn and data. The decision covers 33 printed pages and conteins a large a. mount of tahuiated statistics showing tbe rates charged by the common car -riers involved, and comparisons be- tween those rates and freight charges prevailing in the states. f,ui.@ssats-' ntents are given. also. showing the cost of building and operating the properties of the steamship xnd rail road companies with the results in profits and losses of conducting the various Transportation businesses. A full history of each railroad com pany, going back for many years, and the difficulties of building and opera ting railroad lines in Alaska, are foseffully set forth by the Commis- siqn.
 Speaking of the allegations made by the scomplaints that the rates chafged by the Copper River and Northwestern Railway Company are excessive, the Commission, while con conoeding the fact that such rates are considerably above the rates charged for similar services in the States, ne vcrtheless points out that excessive ness or otherwise of such rates must be determined upon the basis of the net earnings reaped by the railroad compAny The following is quoted from the decision. .-z-
 "There is a wide difference in the character of testimony required to test taie reasonableness of an entire schedule of rates covering the whole traffis of a particular carrier and that required to test the reasonable ness af a rate on a particular commo- dity hetween two definite points. Whether an attack upon an entire schedule of rates is we'll founded or not is kp be determined largely by as certainfng whether the gross amount of traffic carried on those rates af- lords the carrier, above its operating expenses and taxes, a reasonable re- turn upon the fair value of it's pro- terty."
 It is further shown in connection with the rates collected by the local railway company that from the begin ing of operation in 1911 up to the end of the fiscal year ending May 3lst. 1916, the railway company has never in any year operated except at loss, with the exception of the last fiscal twelve-month. The net loss during atAa whole period of operation amount ed to s2.s41.s7l.so. Upon this point says:
 ..1.tfom fhS point it appears that ths Revenhes of the Copper River K