Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-28
RAILROADS TO ASK
GENERAL ADVANCE:
Steps Taken Before Commerce
Commission for Increase
in Freight Rates.
DE M AN D is COUNTRYWIDE
Efforts Will Be Made to Raise
lntrastatc. as Well as In
tcrstate Tariffs.
DEM AND is COUNTRY WIDE


WASlilNGToN. March .,-,;cucr,;
advances IN freight rates Will bc
sought. probably within the next ten
days. by railroads III every section of
the United States. Preliminary s,cns
were taken to-day by virtually all
railroads concerned in an informal cor
ference with the Interstate Commerce
Commission
Definite announcements was made that
the advance asked for Eastern roads,
would be 10 per cent on all commooi-
ties except on btumnous coal and
coke. Representatives Of Western lines
while not stating specifically the per
ccntagc OF increase desired Indicated
tina; they. too would ask for u ncr
cent. Railroads of the Southwest sub
mittcd figures showing that increases
ranging between Is and 2lt per cent
were needed TO meet additional costs
Of operation already existing in the
case of five lives. Southern railroads
probably viii determine the pcrccnt-
age OF Increase desired at a conference
here next Friday
NO INCREASE PROPOSED
IN PASSENGER FARES
No authority viii hc sought, under
present percentages. to increase pas
scngcr fares.
In addition 10 the proceedings before
the Interstate Commerce Commission
concerning interstate rates. spokcsmcm
tor the railroads let it be known that
they are preparing 10 20 before every
state railroad aud public utilities COM
mission in the Union to ask for au-
thority to increase their freight tariffs
on iutrastatc traffic.
But one dissenting voice was raised
at to-day's conference. a. l.. Helm
representing the Public Utilities Com
mission of Kansas, cited figures TO up
hold his contention that tho railroads
emergency Was not SO pressing as it
had been dcpictcd. and that net in
comes Of the roads last year We're trc-
mcndously greater than tho year he
fore. He protested against authorize
ton by the commission OF general in
creascs without full investigation in
advance
TcicGraphic protests against the pro-
posed Increases poured into tho offices
OF the commission all day. Commits
sicucr Clark announced that the house
Was full OF protests already" Twenty
five kilograms were received during the
conference.
SOUTHERN. LINES
DECLARED PROSPEROUS
In the case OF all railroads except
those in the South the request for
amendment OF the rules so as to per-
nit prompt general advance in rates
was based primarily on the ground
''tt the cost OF labor. fuel. equipment
and supplies had risen TO unexpected
levels. and that taxes also were much
higher than last year. President Har-
riSon. OF the Southern Railway, speak
ing for the Southerm lines, declared the
roads Of his section were prosperous
and would continue to make money.
even under present conditions. but that
without an advance i'll rates they could
not grow The prime need of South
crn roads he said. was capital and
this could not he obtained with earning
capacity curtailcd, as under present
conditions.
The Southern Railway. Mr.. Harrison
said. has been running about Is per
cent over its income OF last year.
ON those figures We have nothing
TO complain Of" he continued "hut
We are now facing an increased cost
OF Sh."oo.O00 per year in our opcro1inr
expenses We are not here TO talk
about being ruined or to talk abou,
disaster. but we do wish TO say ,ha,
Under such conditions as now prevail
We would have to stop growing if w,
arc not granted AN increase in rates
Ihc South is growing faster than
"s railroads. In the last three wears
nave spent s52.0oo.O0O in improve
mcnts and bcttcrmcnts on the Southern
'a'i"aE proper. have hcgun to do
what rs necessary to bc done our
prime question is one of obtaining can
''a' 10 make possible these improve
'nent* and others projected"
TRYING TO ESTABLISH
CREDIT on sol 'rIIi;sN
have tried 10 SGT aside $1,000 }. ono
every year from income To establish
thc credit OF the Southern Railway"
added Mr.. Harrison. "aud to make nos
Sihir the improvements We have i'm
mind. Apparently the credit Of tho
southern is not yet established. for
laSi wintcr VIC cndcavored To raise
capital upon an issue of bonds. but
'ou'd not obtain IL at an interest rate
which VIC were justified in paying
within tho past three years We have
Put S2o."0o.000 Of our earnings back
INTO improvements. This is a part Of
INC S'2,ooo.60o representing the total
expended in this manner and upon
this S52.onn,o0o think VIC have earned
10 per cent. Last year wc earned IL
per cent on our preferred stock hut
We paid no dividends prefcrrinE to put
the money back into the property"
Mr.. Harrison said that the incrca ed
cost of coal next year would approXi-
mate $".?00,000 on the Southern Rail
way Contracts for the years supply.
he said. have been placed recently on
Il slantinS scale. varying between Sl.65
and $50 per ton. rs compared with
Sll5 per ton last year and 90 cents
per ton the year before.
The coal situation. he said, had be-
come such serious factor that he had
recently ordered the opening of two