The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-05-21
LARGE ADVANCES IN RATES ON
FOREIGN RAILWAYS

FONElSN NhfLWAlo
The freight and passenger rates of
the railways of the United States
have been advanced an average of
about thirty three per cent since
pre- war days. However, large ad-
ditional advances in rates may be
made in this country" says The Rail-
way Age, "our people may congrat-
ulate themselves that the advances
in rates necessitated in this country
by the war and government opera
ton will be much less than those
that have been made in many foreign
countries. "The railways Of Great
Britain were placed under govern
ment control at the beginning Of the
war and are still being thus operated.
During the war the passenger rates
were advanced fifty per cent while
the freight rates were not advanced
at all, and because the increases in
expenses greatly exceeded the in
creases in rates the government in
CURED large deficit. To reduce or
wipe out this deficit advances in the
freight rates of the British railways
ranging from twenty five to 100 per
cent were made effective on jan
uary Is, 1920, and extra charges were
added to rates which cover the col
lection and delivery of freight at
stations as well as its transporta-
ton. In March. 1920, the demurrage
charges imposed for holding car one
day beyond the period. Of free time
were increased 100 per cent, and the
charges for subsequent days 200 per
cent.
During December, 1919, and Jan
uary. 1920. the Italian railways ad-
vanced their first class passenger
fares eighty per cent, their second
class fares sixty per cent and their
third class fares fifty per cent. Both
freight and passenger rates already
had been advanced thirty to forty
five per cent. The demands of the
railway workers for higher wages
and the question of freight rate in
creases were taken under considera-
ton by the government. 1t was de-
cided that the freight rates were too
high to be raised further and that
taxation would have to be utilized to
meet the deficit Of the railways,
which are owned as we'll as operated
by the government, the Italian rail-
ways even before the war incurred
a large deficit each year issued
by the Italian state railways impos-
ing 100 per cent supertax on the
rates for foreign merchandise enter
ing Italy.
1.-THE passenger rates Of the French
railways. two Of which are owned by
the government and all of which are
being operated under government
control were advanced forty per
cent during the war and the freight
rates thirty to thirty seven per cent.
Because of the deficits which have
continued to be incurred proposals
der consideration. "The advances in
rates on the Austrian railways since
pre-war days have been enormous.
The increase of thirty per cent made
in February, 1920, made the total in
creases about $50 per cent. Doubtless
the immensely Of these increases is
largely explained by the depreciation
of the country's currency. In Sep
TENDER, 1919, freight and passenger
rates in Belgium had been increased
forty to fifty per cent since pre- war
times. Further increases have been
made since then but the amount of
these increases is not known. In Sep
TENDER, 1919, freight and passenger
rates in the Netherlands were ad-
vanced fifty per cent.
Every much the largest advances
reported in any country have been
made in Germany where, as it is well
known, practically all the railways
are owned and operated by the gov
eminent. Repeated advances were
made during the war and still further
very great advances have been made
since the signing of the amistice.
The passenger rates now, according
to our European editor, who recent
ly visited Germany, average about
700 per cent higher than before the
war and the freight rates about soc
per cent higher. These enormous ad-
vances are explained not only by the
fact that the operating expenses of
the German railways have increased
very greatly, but by the fact that the
value of the country's currency has
greatly deprecated. Even measured
in the pre-war value Of money, the
passenger and freight rates in Ger
many have been increased much
more than in any other country.
Large advances in rates have also
had to be made in many countries
which were remote from the seat of
hostilities. For example, in Decem-
Der, 1919, all freight and passenger
rates on the South African govern
ment railways were advanced twen-
ty FIVE per cent, while in August,
1919, raise of twenty per cent in
both freight and passenger rates was
made in Brazil, and in October of the
same year additional increases were
proposed. In Canada the railways
have made the same advances in