Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-28
GENERAL ADVANCE
IN RAILROAD RATES
Freight Increase Twenty-Five
Per Cent = Passengers Pay
Three Cents d Mile.
NECESSARY WAR MEASURE
Will Give Added Operating In
come of About S8Oo,O0o,0OO
Annually, McAdoo Says.
NECESSARY WAR MEASURE
LBy Associated Press.1

tBy Associated Pressl
| WASHING May 27.-Examina-
tion to-day Of Director General Nc
Adoo's order raising freight rates on
basis of % per cent and passenger
fares 10 B cents mile. and abolishing
all lower intrastate freight and pas
! sengcr rates. indicated that the aver
age increase will be higher than %
! per cent.
/ Many changes and readjustments
will be made by the railroad admins
tration. either on its own initiative
after receiving suggestions from ship
| pers and state or local authorities. or
by order Of the Interstate Commerce
( Commission. which has power to re-
/ view and modify the schedules. This
| will not prevent the new rates from
going into effect. however, passenger
fares on June 10 and freight tariffc
| on June 25, for the commission to-day
gave its approval to the rate order
without hearings. This action was per-
functory. and is not intended to cut
off later complaints and hearings on
/ them.
! state railroad or rate commissions
have no authority TO change the rates.
/ the railroad admini stra ton holds. even
/ though many provisions of the new
! order more than double charGca for
short hauls within States. The lircc-
| tor-general to-day explained in tclc-
/ gram 10 chairman of State commits
s!ons, however, that he will welcome
! suggestions for rcadiustment OF rates
| on intrastate traffic and these will be
referred to the Interstate Commerce
| Commission for its consideration in
l ia nj int
! commissions also may enter formal
protests direct to the Interstate Com
! nerce Commission
MAY RESULT IN LARGE
| NUMBER OF MODIFICATIONS
These complaints are expected TO re-
/ suit in hundreds OF notifications af-
/ fectinS specific commodities or classes,
| and rates between certain communi-
! ties. but probably will not reduce to
any great extent the total revenue to
be derived from the sweeping increases,
which is estimated at from 100000. 900
TO 5000, 600, 900.
The additional charges must e"entu-
ally be absorbed in higher prices Of
commodities. il was noted to-day by
shippers interests and this effect may
be noticed particularly for coal brick
lumber. meats and grain. and for ma
tcrials shipped TO market only short
distance Analysis of tho new Schrd-
uleS showed that for hauls of from
five TO nifty miles. particularly in
States which have their own ntra-
state classitications. rates will be raised
by varying amounts ranging from %
to 100 per cent Some comfort for
summer vacationists was derived from
assurances of the railroad administra-
tion that excursion rates would be
rc-established, though on higher
basis. The director generals order
provided for the dscontinuance of Ali
existing excursion rates, and many
other lower rates and special pas
senger privileges. Local excursion
fares 10 summer resorts will be raised
generally about 90 per cent Long
distance excursion rates in the East
will be 10 per cent less than the reg
ular Scent rate. In the West. these
fares will he approximately 20 per
cent above the existing rather low
rates.
II was reported here during the day
that comm ercial travellers orEanza-
tions would protest agains: the Scent
passenger rate. which is from 1-2 to
3-4-cent higher than present milea ge
rates. They will ask. it was said
for sale OF mileage books at a lower
rate on the ground that they are whole
sale purchasers OF mileage.
PULLMAN TRAVELLERS
REQUIRED TO PAY BONUS
Travellers in standard sleeping and
parlor cars are required to pay l-2
cents mile. in addition to Pullma
fares. and in tourist sleeping ears Ia
cents. rullma. rates remain the same. !
Accommodation and other suburban n |
rates on railroads are increased 10 per
cent. Fares on electric interurban
lines are not affected.
Special excursion, mileage. conven-
tion and tourist rates. with a few ex-
ceptions. are discontinued. privileges |
such as stop-overs and free side trips |
are abolished, and excess baggage !
charges are increased.
Both freight and passenger rates on |
boat lines operated on the lakes. rivers !
or coastwiss by railroads are to be |
raised proportionately with the gen.
eral increase.
Export and import freight rates are
ordered Cancelled. and the higher do. |
mestic rates will apply to and from |
ports.
A number OF fiat increases. instead |
OF percentage additions. are ordered !
for cotton. coal. coke. lumber. ore |
stone. grain. live stock, meats. sugar, |
bullion and other commodities.
EXISTING DIFFERENTIALS
ARE TO STAND AS NOW |
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 by tho Interstate Commerce
Commission. but the President has
fina9 authority.
In announcing that the rate Increases
are required by the public interest,
Director-General McAdoo referred to
the $300,00o.000 or more added to the
pay rolls OF railroad labor under an
order DubliShed to.dav to tho |