The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-08-01
Up Goes igh Cost of Living
When Railways Get In
crease in Both Freight
and Passenger Rates;
Sleeping Cars Are
in AristOcrat
Class

Washington, July 31.-Authority for
tho railroads Of the country to in
crease their revenues by approx
mately one billion and q half dollars
was granted today by the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Freight rates
win be advanced about one-third,
passenger fares one-flfth and Pullman
thsrEes one-half.
Suastwise and international and
steamehtp lines and electric railway
companies were granted permission
W increase their freight rates IN
proportion TO the increases granted
railroads serving the same territory.
No estimate OF the aggregate amount
reesltins IRON these advances has
been made. New rates which are to
continue unit, March /. 1922, will be-
tome effective upon five-days notice
by the carriers TO the commission
and the public and they must be in
operation before January /. Since
The government guarantee expires Sep
tcmbef !, the carriers are expected
10 bend every effort TO put the ad-
varees into effect then,
Increases granted are designed to
pfrnt the $500 100000 wage advance
awarded by the railroad labor board
and 10 provide the ak per cent net
ineanae sn the aggregate value Of the
s,iiivaa properties as permitted under
the transportation act, The aggregate
value " all Of the railroads Is cstl
mated ~ the commission at SiS.sQc.'
100000 as against book value OF
$40, 49.eo0,oCo given h. the cas'rles-'.
The 20 per cent increase In pas
senger fares, excess baggage charges
and p,ilS transportation rates and the
80 PER cent surcharge on Pullman
( taree Nh. hc jgeMeti, ule. country
owe, Freight rate increases wiz VAR
according TO territory, with 40 pc
cent In the east; Is per cent in the
south; as per cent In the west, thai
Is frosa the Mississippi river to tn,
Rocky rloun;ains-and % per cen
Ia Mountain Pacific territory-fron
casi u the Rockies to the Pacific
s~ast. not including Alaska.
The commission In its seth decision
made no attempt to compute th'
amount of Increased revenues the car
riers would receive from the rat'
ADVANCES. II Is said that the increases
was Justified in view OF the rapidly
changing conditions as to prices ant
tho necessity for providing adequate
transportation facilities during ant
afier the period OF reimbursement
From figures submitted by the car
riers when their applications for the
Increases were made, 1t was unoffi
piaily estimated that the apportion
mept Of the advances would work Out
at about s1,2s5, 100000 on freight
&sss. 500. 900 on passengers; s43, soc, ,0O(
aa Pullman; si,50o,0OO on milk and
si.aao,ooo on excess baggage charges
Ca the same calculations, the east
prn roads would get the greater part
" the total increase, receiving ap
praximately sS73.930.000. as compares
with $3.50, ,4S3, 900 for the western lines
and $l3S.2sS, 900 for the southern car
rlers,
Tho Increases in passenger. Pull
man and excess baggage rates Were
exactly those asked by the roads
k'rVlgh. increases requested were 50.
"a fer the eastern roads. the total
estimated to yield Sl.S56, 900. 900. The
vayscrn reads were granted rs OF one
per cent more than they sought, the
western rosds approximately wha
they sought, but the southern roads
anpyoyilnately ii per cent less thar
they had requested.
rho commission said that the II
nanolal condition of the southern car
,ls,s was NOR favorable than tha
os lines In other groups. Therefore
the commission held they were better
able 10 meet the demands upon then
,han some other companies and di'
not REQUIRE 50 large an increase.
vTho increases authorized SAT-
me commission, "are intended TO yiel'
TIA additional one-half of one pc
s7at OK. the. aggregate value N th'
rsaaa 10 nuke provisions for improy'
.nenss. betterments and equipment
eharrvahle to capital account and
report pemi.annually, showing wh1
.nortone OF the increased revenue
resulting from the increase here al
4 .horizea hos been devoted to tina
3 parpese,"
Qns.half Of one per cent will ~
nroslsnese Sa4.OOO,oOo. The commi
sion the carriers had stated speciiicall
that they needed Immediately at lea'
Z loo, 900 freight cars; 1000 locomotive
- IA a,ooo passenger coaches. Thes
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