Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-06
Demand for Right To In
crease Freight Charges Is
Per Cent Is Heard, BY
Commission for Second
Time IN Six Months.
CAR SHORTAGE LAID
HIGH WAR COSTS

Washington, .. c., Nov. 81
John Skeiton Williams, comp
troller Of the currency. in for
NAL statement today, declared that
present railroad rates are insuA5-
cient to maintain the credits Of
the roads and predicted that the
interstate commerce commission
will grant the revision now being
asked by the roads.
Washington, d. c., Nov. 5.-The re-
opening Of the Is per cent rate ad-
vance case before the interstate com
merce commission was marked by
claims of counsel Of eastern railroads,
that transportation facilities and f.
nancial stability of the railroads are
menaced by prevailing rates. III
Eve cannot afford to make mis-
takes" declared Samuel Rea, presi'
dent of the Pennsylvania railroad in
opening the case. at is not time
for panic but neither is it a time for
disregarding the facts of increasing
expenses, Of diminishing net operat-
ing income, of deferred maintenance,
of lack of present facilities and in
ability to provide future ones"
SAY RAISE is NECESSARY.
War time conditions with the re-
sultant increase in the cost of labor
and materials make 1t imperative that
an advance over the present rates be
,ksanted, asserted c1ansel represent
ing thirty-eight systems operating
east OF the Mississippi and north OF
the Ohio rivers. II the roads are to
handle adequately the great volume
of war time trafic without incurring
the imminent risk Of financial re-
verses, better provision, 1t was point
ed out, must be made by the govern
ment..
Although the hearing affects I'm
mediately only those roads operating
in the east the result is expected to
have a bearing on rates through the
country. Daily hearings will continue
for several weeks, 1t is believed with
prospect that disposition of the case
will come before the end of the year.
SHOW HIGHER EXPENSES.
Other railroad representatives who
were present and prepared to make
general statements were Alfred H.
Smith. of the New York Central:
James H. Hustis Of the Boston and
Maine and Frederick D. Underwood
Of the Erie.
When in May the eastern carriers
asked for a fifteen per cent rate in
crease they. estimated that war time
prices of labor and materials would
increase their operating charges by
$235, 100000
Later compilation, presented today,
indicate an increase of $270,000, 900,
based on the 1915 volume of business
while increased revenues from rate
advances since the first of the year
total $97,000,000.
WOULD INCREASE FARES.
Increases of quarter Of a cent a
mile in one way tickets and in mile
age rates and Increases in class freight
rates ranging from 10 to 80 per cent
were asked in an application filed with
the interstate commerce commission
by the railroads entering Boston
Railroads in other New England terri.
tory have also filed or soon will file
applications for authority for similar
increases.
The adjustment Of New England
rates for which authority was asked
in today's application is additional to
the Is per cent increase now being
asked.
The New England roads felt, attor-
neys said, that the Is per cent increase
would be insufficient ~