Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-06-11
EAST. STRM. cos.
PETITION REFUSED

PETITION REf OOED
The Public Utilities Commission
has issued a statement in regard 10
the application of the Eastern Steam
ship Lines, Incorporated, for permls-
sion to file a freight tariff effective
on less than statutory notice. saying
that the petition will be dismissed
unless the petitioner presents other
reasons than the desirability of main
tanning its rates on a parity with
those of it's competitors, the railroads.
the Eastern Steamship Lines, Incor-
porated, not being under federal con-
troll. A hearing on the petition will
be held at the office of the commits
sion at Augusta. Tuesday. June II,
at 10 A. M.
The statement says in part:
This is a petition by the Eastern
Steamship Lines, Incorporated, for
permission to file a schedule showing
an advance in all freight tariffs of
% per cent, effective June 20, 1918,
on less than statutory notice. The
petition contains the following ex-
PLANTATION:
The Eastern Steamship Lines, In
corporated, is not under federal con-
| troll. General Order No IS. issued by
the Director General of the United
States Railroad Administration, au-
thorizes our rail competitors to in
crease their rates 20 per cent. The
18th Section, Order No. 666. issued by
the Interstate Commerce Commission
authorizes carriers not under federal
control to advance their joint rates in
connection with carriers under fed
eral control, to the basis set forth in
said General Order No. %. The OBJ
ject of this petition is to keep our
rates on the same relative basis as
they now bear to the present rail
competitive rates.
This is one of several similar petit
| tons which have been, or are likely
to be, presented by water carriers
and electric railroads doing a freight
business. A brief statement of our
views may avoid confusion and give
the carriers affected seasonable notice
of what they may expect.
The federal administration,
through it's General Order No. IS. has
ordered all railroads to advance their
freight rates % per cent, effective
June rs, 1918. except as to certain ar
ticles specifically enumerated and
otherwise provided for in the same
general order. This applies to inter-
state and lntrastate rates.
Recent action by the Interstate
/ Commerce Commission authorized an
advance of 15 per cent on commodity
rates charged by railroads in this dis
trict, and the present advance of %
per cent. makes an actual increase of
1919 per cent on a very considerable
portion of the traffic.
This action is explained as re-
CURED to meet the increased cost Of
operation including a very substan-
tial advance recently granted in
wages. 1t does not purport to be
based on the results of any considera-
ton of the needs Of the individual
roads, and the individual roads get
no direct benefit from it. 1t is a
sweeping order to provide for the
cost of operation of the railroad sys-
TENS of the country as a unified whole
without regard to the effect upon the
patrons of those members of the sys-
TEN which would need less or none if
operated separately.
| The federal management feels
that the present exigcncies require
this arbitrary action, and that man
agement presumably is in the best 20
sition to know. This commission
deems it to be its duty to operate
with it by eXpediting all preliminary
steps necessary to carry the federal
purpose into effect; and for this rea-
son alone permits the filing of intra-
state rates effective on less than stat
utory notice by the same classes Of
carriers directly affected by the d.
rector generals order.
I'VE cannot accept the arbitrary
ruling of the federal officials relating
to classes of carriers which it has
been deemed necessary to take over
for war purposes as evidence of an
emergency sufficient to justify us in
eXcuSing other classes of carriers
from complying with the laws of this
State which requires them to give so
days notice of proposed advances.
| The burden is upon them to show the
existence of real emergency"