The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-09-26
BY Il. ID. GUTHRIE
Traffic Manager. Southern Wholesale
GrOcers Association

i""'iN hahdSSr, ooCtieTH NhOieSaie
Grocers Association
Downward. turn downward, rates
in your flight"-this is the cry now
adays of farmers, merchants, manu-
facturers and others having occasion
to travel on passenger trains and pay
freight and express bills.
According TO revised estimates made
les S1,546,921.947 is the amount that
will be added to the country's annual
railroad transportation bill by the
general application, the country over.
Of increased rates fares and charges
recently authorized BY the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Adding there
to one hundred and fifty odd millions
Of dollars TO cover increased express
and steamer transportation charges
and the eight hundred mad twenty
five millions estimated as resulting
from increases effected during the
period of federal control we arrive
at the stupendous sum Of two billion
five hundred and twenty odd million
dollars as the total OF increased
transportation charges per annum
added within period of less than
two and half years.
Basing our population for 1920 at
the Census Bureaus estimate Of 105,-
100000, this total sum of increased
charges for transportation may be
said as equalling an annual charge
of s24 per capita for every man,
woman and child in the country.
Much Beyond Expectation
Prior to and during the fall of 1911,
when a general advance in rates by
the railroad administration was being
talked of and freely predicted moi
even the most radical advocates OF
rate advances ventured an opinion
that rates should or could go to such
tremendous heights as they have
subsequently gone. However, not
withstanding that within a period Of
less than two and u half years the
railroads have been granted increases
in freight rates alone amounting
to over 60 per cent, they are still
making efforts to bring about fur
ther increases. These additional in
creases would be effected by advanc-
ing the ratings on various articles
in the freight classification, cancella-
tions Of long established commodity
rates and by increasing the present
carload minimum weights on numer-
Gus commodities.
Important Food Commodities Included
The additional advances proposed al
this particular time By changes in
classifications are 10 be found in the
Consolidated Classification Commit
tees Docket for August which has
been the subject of much discussion
during the past month. This docket
lists approximately six hundred diff
ferent articles among which are such
I important food articles as coffee, corn
meal, candy and confectionery, molas-
ses. spices, sugar, syrup. cheese, can
ned and cooked fish. jams, jellies pre-
serves pickles, pimentos, table sauces
canned soups, canned or preserved
vegetables and vinegar.
On coffee and coffee substitutes
pickles, pimentos, table sauces, can
ned or preserved vegetables, all kinds
/ including canned corn, canned hominy
canned pork and beans, canned scrap
pie. canned tomatoes and canned
wheat, and vinegar. all the proposed
classification changes in western ant
southern territories represent advances
and with but few exceptions this is
also true with respect 10 changes
proposed in the north and east-offi
cial classification territory
The West Iii, Hard
The west appears 10 come In FOL
the creates. number Of advances as
In addition to the above, increased
ratings are proposed on jam, jellies
preserves, canned fish, manufactured
tobacco. syrup and spices although
In certain instances. advances arr
also proposed on most OF these com
modlties In southern and officia
classification territories, while ol
others reductions are shown.
In some instances the increases pro
posed by advancing the classification
ratings amount TO 5S per cent In rate
that were made effective on Angus
9eth. and az much as l47 per cent II
rates. that were applicable prior Il
June 9jth, 1918.
In urging the classification commit
tee not to make classification change
that would further increase rates
the Southern Wholesale Grocers' As
ISOLATION took the position that, Il
consideration Of the large increase
in rates, fares and charges whlcl
are to become effective as a resul
Of recent decision of the Interstat
Commerce Commission In the Genera
Advance Rate Case, IL is only fai
to shippers and the public that n hal
be called to further increases bein
made by changes in classiflcatio
} ana that future revisions in rate
and classifications should be down
ward rather than upward, ana espe
'eially Is this true with respect t