The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-06-30

price. OH, used BY some western
roads as fuel went up. supplies and
equipment Of ali sorts mounted to new
high price levels. Unskilled labor
threatened to go into other markets
where pay was better and the roads
claimed they had advnced wages in
order to keep men. Operating costs
continued to grow. The vision Of a
day Of prosperity faded.
In its place there soon came a
when the roads, though taking in
more money than ever before, said
they were not receiving as large a
net return as they had received twelve
months before. The increase in oper'
ting costs, they contended grew out
of all proportion to the increased bus
mess. Instead of making money the
roads claimed they were on the verge
of losing millions at a day when they
were operating at maximum capacity.
The new moneys paid out under the
Adamson law were but a small per-
centage, the railroads claimed, OF the
totals paid out in higher operating
costs. A general movement looking
toward relief was begun.
Within forty eight hours after the
Supreme Court upheld the Adamson
law, the machinery for rate increase
was put in motion. Relief, the rail-
roads claimed, was imperatively nee
essary and as time was of the es'
sence of the situation they sought
to obtain It will all possible speed.
Dividing into three territorial groups
the railroads sought the Interstate
Commerce Commissions aid in meet
ing their difficulties.
The Eastern roads, hit harder than
those of any other section, they claim
ed, we're the first to act. Their rep
reNentatives met quietly and infor-
mally with the commission one night
and the proceedings Of that meeting
made public by the commission the
next day showed that general increase
in rates was discussed. President
Rea of the Pennsylvania and other
executives told the commission that
the time had come when the railroads
faced increased rates or financial
losses.
Proceedings Of the conference were
hardly published before kilograms
were received from western railroad
interests saying their emergency also
was great and asking the commission
to meet their representatives. A con-
ference was held with the western
roads, A conference with the South
ern roads followed and out of these
and other conferences grew the for.
NAL proceedings looking to a general
advance. ,,a
The percentage Of the advance mad
mot been determined upon at the first
conference. Finally all three groups
decided that fifteen per cent. advance
was needed to enable them to meet
new conditions. This, 1t was various so0H
ly estimated, would yield from $780,
0OO, 900 to 100000 annual revenue
Meanwhile the shipping interests o.
the country met at Chicago and made
plans to fight the increase. When
the hearings opened here in May, be-
fore the Interstate Commerce Commls-
sion, the National Shippers Conference
was represented by number OF attor-
news, chief among them Clifford
Thorne, of Iowa, an expert on rates
and transportation.
The attitude of the shippers was to
some extent divided. Some thought,
and so testified to the commission
that the railroads should have the in.
crease, while others favored some in
crease, and others contended that II
the railroads were entitled to any rats
advance at all, it was much less than
the fifteen per cent. they asked. The
railroads contended that instead Of
being a fifteen per cent. advance, what
they were asking would really net
them much smaller return. The
portion of shippers which opposed the
increase most vigorously was headed
by Mr.. Thorne.
Early in the hearing the shippers
made united attacks on the realign-
ment of preferential rates that would
result from horizontal advance. The
railroads met this protest with assur-
ances that the present rate differences
would be restored as soon as possible.
Shippers declared thousands Of car.
loads o flumber and other commodities
had been held up by the roads by
shortage of rolling stock. They insist