The Glasgow courier., 1918-05-31
senger increase will go into effect

senger increase will go into effect
Issued under authority granted by
the railroad act to President Wilson,
acting through the director general,
the order wipes out all intra-state
lower rates effective on either freight
or passenger traffic.
Pullman Rates Unchanged.
Travellers in standard sleepers and
parlor cars are required to pay 311
cents a mile in addition to Pullman
fares and in tourist sleepers 3A cents.
Pullman rates remain the same.
Communication and other suburban
rates on railroads are increased 10
per sent. Fares on eletric interurban
lines are not affected.
Special excursion mileage conven-
ton and tourist rates with few ex-
ceptions, are discontinued, privileges
such as stopovers and free side trips
are abolished and excess baggage
charges are increased.
Boat Rates Raised.
Both freight and passenger rates on
boat lines operated on the lakes,
rivers or coastwise by railroads are to
be raised proportionately with the
general increases.
Export and import freight rates are
cancelled and the higher domestic
rates will apply to and from ports
A number of fiat increases, instead
of percentage additions are ordered
for coal, coke, lumber, ore, stone,
grain, cotton, livestock, meats, sugar,
bullion and other commodities.
Existing differentials and rate re-
lationships between various localities
are to be preserved so far as possible.
but many readjustments will have to
be made later. All rates are subject
to review and correction by the inter-
state commerce commission.
Advance Necessary.
In announcing that the rate in
creases are required by public inter-
est, Director General McAdoo referred
to the $3OO,OOO,O0 or more added to
the payrolls of railroad labor under an
order published today, to the rapidly
rising cost of coal which.he estimated
this year alone at -160,OOO,O0O more
than last year, and to higher cost of
every other material entering into
railroad transportation. Operating
expenses, he estimated, would be be-
tween -830,0O0,000 and -860,000,O00
greater this year than the 1852 ,0O0,-
900 figure of last year.
No part of the increased rates is on
account of the program of nearly a
billion dollars of improvements, addi-
tions and new equipment this year, he
explained.
Conflicts with States.
The provision that intrastate rates
shall be abolished wherever substi-
tuted interstate rates between the
same points exist and that all shall be
raised to a standard national level,
develops the first definite conflict be-
tween powers of the federal railroad
administration and of the state and
public utilities committees, which
heretofore have claimed exclusive
jurisdiction over intrastate rates.
Railroad rate agents will file tariffs
containing the new rates with state
commissions as we'll as with the in
terstate commerce commission, but
state commissions are permitted no
review under the railroad act.
Mr.. McAdoo announced that he ex-
poets the interstate commerce com.
mission to review many of the new
schedules on complaint of shippers OF
other commercial interests and
changes will be made on the commits.
sion's recommendations This is neces.
sary to readiust the nationwide fab.
ric of complicated rates each inter.
dependent on scores of others and sc
delicately adjusted in hundreds o1
thousands of cases that change of 9
cent or two causes distinct individual
and commercial disturbances. TIL,
commission probably will be busy fo1
months hearing complaints and pro
tests.
No Reductions.
Passenger fares in some sparsel,
settled regions now more than thre,
cents will not be reduced. Although
existing excursion and tourist fare
are abolished, the order permits tn
re-establishment of round trip touris
fares somewhat lower than the thre
cent rate.
Exceptions to the three cent rat
are made for soldiers and sailors, VIII
may travel at one cent a mile whe
on furlough at their own expense an
for persons attending the national en-
campment of the G. A. r. at Port
land, Ore, and the United Confederat
veterans reunion at Tulsa, Okls
Both of these organizations are pei
mitted rates of one cent mile and fo
various state meetings of the vel