The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-06-16
0KLAH0MANS IN
RATE PROTEST
COMMITTEE CONFERS WITH
RAILWAL MEN SEEKING
REVISION OF CHARGES
(Ardmoreite Specially

Oklahoma City, June l5.-The
Oklahoma committee, consisting Of
Judge Campbell Russell, corpora
ton commissioner; J. H. Johnston,
secretary of the Cotton Seed
Crushers' Association; II. L. Ben
nett, commission rate expert; w.
V. Hardie, traffic manager, Okla
homa City Traffic Association; E.
N. Adams, traffic manager, Tulsa
Traffic Association; J. F.. Noon,
traffic manager, Muskogee Traffic
Association; Fl. G. Struble, traf-
fic manager, Hale Halsell Grocery
Company, McAlester, and Traffic
Manager Kecler of North Ameri-
can Oil & Refining Co., met the
western regional traffic committee
Of the railroad administration in
Chicago last Tuesday and spent the
afternoon in discussion of the sit
uation existing in Oklahoma at the
present time, and that which will
be brought about by the director
generals further increase, effective
June Is.
The railroad committee consists
of the heads of the traffic depart
ments of five of the western car
riers, The Northwestern, Rock Is
land, Northern Pacific, Santa Fe
and Southern Pacific. These men
were accompanied by J. L. West,
freight traffic manager of the Katy,
who is chairman of a subcommittee
on traffic matters for the south
western territory, comprising that
portion of Missouri which lies south
of the c. r. |. & P. railway from
St. Louis to Kansas City, and the
states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas
and Louisiana.
The committee listened patiently |
to the Oklahoma protestants, but |
took no definite action other than
to refer them to the southwestern
subcommittee in session at St.
Louis, Mo. Thereupon the COM
mittee repaired to St. Louis and
Wednesday morning began a joint
session with the subcommittee.
Class Rates Discussed.
The first question taken up was
the subject CT class rates, upon
which it seems that the railroad Of
ficials had already conferred, and
announced their decision to the eff
feet that they would supersede the
rates they made effective March Is
by those named in interstate COM
mission order in I&S Docket No.
10lo for application between Texas
and Oklahoma, and that these rates
would then, on June Is, be auto
matically increased rs per cent and
applied on Oklahoma intrastate
traffic. In osher words, notwith-
standing the protest of the Okla
homa committee, the Oklahoma
representatives were left upon the
very high rate basis which applies
in the state of Texas for short
hauls, and where, on account of the
size OF the state, they get consid-
cradle offset, because of having
comparatively cheap long hauls,
while in Oklahoma we have no such
long haul offsets. The population
and density CT traffic in Oklahoma
is also very much greater than in
Texas. Lower rates will be made
effective in Arkansas, Missouri and
Kansas, and the Oklahoma Commit
tee earnestly appealed for an ad-
justment which would make Okla
homa rates based upon adding to-
gether the rates in the state sof
Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and
Texas, and dividing by four, thus
giving Oklahoma the average of the
rates applicable in adjoining states.
This appeal was denied.
Coal.
On coal the Oklahoma rates will
be based upon the former rates of
the corporation commission, first
adding IS cents per ton, as per the
recent compromise with the rail-
roads, and then adding the follow
ing figures, as per Director-General
McAdoo's order:
Where the rate is $500 to 4o cents
per ton, IS cents per ton.
Where the rate is so to 90 cents
per ton, 20 cents per ton.
Where the rate is Sl.0O to S1.9o
per ton, 80 cents per ton.
Where the rate is $500 to 500
per ton, 40 cents per ton.
Where the rate is $500 or over
per ton, 50 cents per ton.
The old Oklahoma City rate from
the McAlester district was Sl.20 per
ton; this will add IS cents plus 80
cents, plus the war tax of S cents,
making the new rate sl.70 per ton.
Or an increase of approximately 40
per cent.
Building Materials.