The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1920-05-28
VOL. XXXII.
BILLION INCREASE In
REVENUE IS ASKED
Hearing on Application For
Higher Rates For Rail-
roads Opened.

washington, MAY Sfs-RcplcScuta-
q tives of every interest concerned In
the operation of the country's railway
system as we'll as the public were
here today for the opening of the
hearing by the Interstate Commerce
/. Commission on applications for in
creased freight rates.
The road owners have claimed that
In order to meet the per cent return
on their properties guaranteed by the
recently enacted transportation act 1t
will be necessary to increase the earn
ings of all the roads by s1,017,000,-
600. To provide this sum the car
riers have recommended that rates in
the Eastern group of roads be in
creased 30.4 per cent, those in the
South 500 and those in the Western
group 23.9 per cent
Method of fixing the valuation of
the railroad properties on which the
Government guarantee will be based
Will be one of the questions threshed
out at the hearings. All interested
. parties will be given an opportunity
to present their claims both as to the
proposed increases in rates and the
valuation problem.
Howard Elliott, chairman Of the
subcommittee of the general rate
committee of the Association of Rail-
way Executives. was called to open
the case for the carriers.
Mr.. Elliott pointed out that in the
Eastern territory railroads for the
year ending October 81 returned on
property investments less than one
fifth Of per cent" In the Southern
territory he said, the returns were
less than three-fourths OF / per cent,
: and in the Western territory slightly
! more than per cent For the coun-
try as a whole the return was said
TO have been slightly more than per
cent.
Under the conditions of private
\ ownership and operations Of rail-
roads, with governmental regula-
ton, protection and encouragement,
Mr.. Elliott said. "the railroads must
obtain earnings enough to sustain
them in competition with other forms
of industry into which people put
their time, brains, energy and mon
.ey.'
Under the new transportation act,
he said, the two pressing questions
now under consideration by the In
terstate Commerce Commission and
the newly created labor board are the
requests for wage increases exceed
ing $1,000. 900, 900 year and an adj
ditional $500, OOO,OOO needed by
the railroads to meet the present
basis of wages, costs, interest and
ments"
improvements Necessary.
Mr.. Elliot declared that New Eng
land and that section of the country
embracing PENNSYLVANIA, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio. Indiana, Illinois and
Michigan were in great need of i'm
DIONNu hoNbAtANes ChhNA
sections, notably the great region
south of the Ohio and east of the
Mississippi, require large additions"
to keep pace with the growth of popu-
lation and industry.
''Now there is congestion and diff
ficulty everywhere" said Mr.. Elliott.
"Fuel, building materials and raw
materials for manufacture are tied up.
and industry is threatened and the
sluggish movement of grain and food
of all kinds makes theNfeeding of our
people more difficult and more cost
ly"
Mr.. Elliott declared that the rail-
road operators were just as DESTROYS
of obtaining a fair adjustment of
wages for their 100000 or more
men as they were to receive the in
creased revenues. He said There is
man-power, brain-power, courage, COM
mon sense and vision enough in the
country, to succeed IL all will pull to-
gether, work long and hard and elimi =
nate selfishness, waste and extrava-
gance."
In justification of the railroads
position he said that the price of
transportation had not increased near
Iy so much as the cost of production.
Expenses had gone up at least 100
per cent while revenues had increased
, less than 40 per cent. He referred to
conditions in European countries
where, he said, freight rates had
been raised as follows: England, II
per cent; France, lao per cent; Bel.
linn, 1nA nar cent. Italy 40 To 100