Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-30
BIG INCREASE IN
RAILROAD RATES
Is Per Cent Advance for Freight
Passenger Fares Three
Cents a Mile

May ~
day by Director General McAdoo's orders
raising freight rates on basis of % per-
cent. and passenger fsres to cents mile
and aboishing all lower intra-state
freight and passenger rates. Indicated
that the average increase Will be higher
than % per cent
Many changes and re-adiustments will
be made by the railroad ADMINISTRATOR
either on its own initiative after receiV-
ing suggestions from shippers and state
or local authorize, or by order OF the In
terstate Commerce Commission, winch
has power to review and modi1y tne
schedules. This will not prevent the new
rates from going into effect. however, pas"
senger fares on June 10 and freight tar
ifs on June 25, for the commission to-day
gave its approval to the rate order With
out hearings. This action was perfume
tory. and is not intended to cut on later
complaints and hearings on them.
State railroad or rate commissions nave
no authority to change the rates. inc
railroad administration holds. even
though many provisions of the new order
more than double the charges for short
hauls within States. The director-gen-
eral to-day explained in telegram to
charmen of State commissions. however.
that he will welcom0 suggestions for
| adjustment of rates on intra- state traf-
| fic, and these will be referred to the
Interstate Commerce Commission for its
consideration in passing on specific COM
plants. State commissions also may
enter formal protests direct to the Inter-
state Commerce Commission.
These complaints are expected to re-
suit in hundreds of notifications affect
| ing specific commodities or classes. and
| rates between certain communities, but
| probably will not reduce to any great
extent the total revenue to be derived
| from the sweeping increases, which is
estimated at from $500 900, 900 to 100000 900.
The additional charges must eventually
! be absorbed in higher prices of COM
| modities it was noted to-day by ship
pers' interests and this effect may be
noticed particularly for coal. brick,
| lumber. meats and grain. and for ma
terials shipped to marked only a short
distance. Analysis Of the new schedules
showed that for hauls Of from Ave to so
miles. particularly In States which have
their own intra- State classiflcations. rates
will be raised by varying amounts rang
| ing from % to $50 per cent.
Some comfort for summer vacationists
was derived from assurances by the rail-
road administration that excursion rates
would be re-establshed, though on a
higher basis.
The director generals order provided for
the discontinuance Of existing excursion
fares. and many other lower rates and
special passenger privileges. Local ex-
cursion fares to summer resorts will be
| raised generally about twenty per cent
| Long distance excursion rates in the East
will be ten per cent. less than the regular
three-cent rate. In the West these fares
will be approximately twenty per cent.
above the existing rather low rates.
J 1t was reported here during the day
that commercial travellers organizations
would protest against the three-cent pas.
senger rate, which is from one-half to
three-fourths cents higher than present
mileage rates. They will ask 1t is said. for
! sale Of mileage books at a lower rate, OF
the ground that they are wholesale pur.
chasers of mileages.
Railroad administration officials ad.
init they hope to reduce unnecessary
passenger travel by the higher rates
and thus save facilities and labor for
freight movement Estimates of the
! amount of travel which may be cur
tailed ranged from 10 to 90 per cent
In line with Director General Nc.
Adoo's request for suggestions from
state commission Tor charges, protests
are looked for particularly from the
states having already we'll established
rate systems.
Industries which will be hard hit
by the order include brick makers and
coal producers will market near the
place of production. For instance. q
brick maker shipping his product O.
miles ordinarily would have to pay
about 2.6 cents freight per 100 pounds
The new scale would add two cents
flat to the existing scale. regardless
OF distance, making the new rate 4.e
cents. This rule aplies also to coal
coke and other commodities for which
specific advances, rather than proper
| tional increases are ordered.
The executive and special war commit
tees of the National Association
of Railway and Utilities commission
ers will meet here June and and VIII
confer with the director general to work
out means of eliminating injustices and
preserving existing rate relationships be-
| tween rival commercial or industrial dis
tricts.
Fuel Administrator Garfield explained
to-day that the increase in rates on coal
would not affect the prices at the mines
recently reduced 10 cents a ton to average
of about $40. The increased transporta-
ton charges ranging from Is to 30 cents
a ton, will be reflected, however. in prices