The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1920-07-30
RAIL ROADS SEEK
OK. TO RAISE PRICES
Board Claims 1926, OO0, 900 Must BE
Raised To Cover Deficit Made
by Late Wage Advance.

Washington, July 22.-To provide
the additional revenues necessary to
meet the S60O,OOO,OOO increase in
wages awarded by the Railroad Labor
Board, the railroads of the country
proposed today to the Interstate Com
merce Commission that passenger
rates be advanced 20 per cent and
! freight rates 9.13 per cent, in addi-
tion to the 276 per cent previously
requested. They also proposed that
surcharge of so per cent be made on
Pullman fares, excess baggage rates
be increased 20 per cent and milk tar
ifs be increased to the same level as
freight rates.
Should the increases proposed to-
day and those previously asked for be
granted in full, existing freight rates
would be advanced 26.9 per cent and
the nations freight bill by $685.
379,675. The total which would be
added to the passenger revenue un-
der the railway executives plan
would be S2S3,S27,9S2 annually.
Pullman charges would go up S43,-
63g,344 year; the revenue on milk
would be increased SS,662,OS9. and
excess baggage charges would be adj
vanced by s1,42O,S95.
Plan Presented.
The plan presented by the railroad
executives disclosed that they have
estimated the wage award at approx
mately $626,O0O,000 instead of $780,
100000 figured by the labor board.
Alfred p. Thorn, general counsel of
the Association of Railway Execu-
tives, explained that the $26,0O0,O 900
additional was figured on the basis
of overtime allowances provided in
the award.
The proposal of the executives was
submitted to the commission by Mr.
Thorn after a conference with it's
members. The commission made no
comment on receiving the proposal
and did not indicate whether it would
order hearings.
Hearings on the billion-dollar
freight rate increase case were con-
cluded two weeks ago and the gen.
eral expectation has been that the
commission would grant a single in
crease to cover both that and the add !
Cd axuanca. racuIf;ng fron, tha ,,,oc,o
advances so as to permit the filing
of the new tariffs before the govern /
ment guarantee TO the railroads ex-
fires on September 1, under the terms
of the transportation act.
The total increases from all sources
Of revenue in each of the three rail- |
road classification territories would |
correspond to the estimated increase |
of wages in those territories and |
would be as follows:
Eastern, sS1S,72s,935; southern,
s69,9O9,495, and western, $237,2S1,-
655.
Under the executives estimate the
proposed increase in passenger rates
would yield an annual return of $I1l,
66S,9S2 in. eastern territory, $29,-
S26,400 in southern and $92,332,599 |
in western.
The additional increase in freight |
rates would be 10 per cent in eastern
territory. yielding 2,O2O,541; S.5I
per cent in southern territory, yield |
ing 3,79S,S69 and 1928 per cent in
western territory yielding $122,551,-
EOS.
The total increase in freight rates |
resulting from the two proposals of |
the railroads would be 1915 per
cent in eastern territory, 1891 in
southern territory and 32.O3 in west |
ern territory.
The surcharge on Pullman fares in
the east would be 17.556,1OS in the
south $5,S52,O36 and in the west
$2O.931, 200.
The increased charge on hauling
milk would be S6,956,416 in the east,
$252,115 in the south and $1,453,-
55S in the west.
The increased excess baggage
charge was estimated at $27S,SSS in
the east $1S0.O17 in the south and
$713,09o in the west