The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-08-02
Passenger Fares and Milk
Rates Will. Soon Be
0ne7Fifth Larger
IN gg'F1L
4 REIGHT RATES
VARY IN SECTIONS
NeV Er gland Roads Can Increase 40
Per Gent and So In West = Increases
to Csvcr Wage Increase and Pay
Necessary Improvement

to CGTer Wage Increase and Pay
Necessary Improvements.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2.-Authority
for the railways 8. the country to incraese
their revenues By approximately $780,
100000 was granted saturday by the in
terstate commerce commission Freight
rates viii be advanced one-third, passen-
ger fares one-tifth and Pullman charges
one-half.
Coastwise and inland steamship lines
and electric railway companies also were
granted permission to increase their
freight rates in proportion to the IN
.creases granted to the railways serving
the same territory No estimate of the
aggregate amount to result from these
advances has been made.
The new yates, which are To continue
in force until March, 1922, will become
effective upon five-days' notice by the
carriers to the commission and the public
and they must be in operation before
January l. Since the government guar
antee expires September ! the carriers
are expected to bend every effort to put
the advances into effect by that date.
Increases granted by the commission are
designed to offset the $780, 600 wage ad-
vance awarded by the railroad labor board
and to provide the 6 per cent net income
in the aggregate value of the railroad
properties as permitted under the trans
portation act.
The aggregation value of all of the rail
ways was estimated by the commission at
SI8,900000,0 600, as against a book value Of
s20,O40, 100000 given by the carriers.
The 20 per cent increase in passenger
fares excess baggage charges and milk
| transportation rates and the 30 per cent
sur-chafge on pullman fares authorized
| by the commission viii be general the
| country over Freight rates increases will
vary according to territory with 40 pei
| cent in the East, % per cent in the South
| Is per cent in the West-that is from
/ the Mississippi river TO the Rocky noun
| tains, and % per cent in mountain-Pa
.ific Territory. from east OF the-,Roekie'
to the Pacific coast, not including Alaska
"The increases here authorized, saic
| he commission, "are intended to yielC
he additional one-half Of the I per cent
| If the aggregate value of the roads II
make provisions for improvements, bet
terments and equipment, chargeable t
| -apital account. The record leaves M
loubt az to the needs Of the country fol
| additional transportation facilities. Al
7arriers participating in the increases vii
be expected to make appropriations fo1
additional improvements betterments o.
equipment of a character chargeahle I,
capital account and to make report t.
us semiannually showing what portion o
L Il.
Increases here, authorized, has been, de
voted to that purpose"
This one-half Of / per cent viii approx
mate $94 100000 The commission sale
that the carriers had stated specifically
that they needed Immediately at leas
100000 freight cars, 1900 locomotives anC
| 1900 passenger coaches. These are to b,
paid for ont Of this fund and out o
moneys advanced by the commission anC
| borrowed by the carriers.
The commission went at some length int
the question of aggregate values of the
roads az well as their financial condition
and said
1--WE conclude that increases as ind
| Gated next below may be made by al
steam roads subject to our jurisdiction
| serving the territory in the group herein
after designated
| "I-Passenger fares and charges may b,
| increased 20 per cent. The term 'passen
| ger fares may be considered to include
| standard local and interline fares: excur
sion, convention and other fares for spec
| ial occasions: Communication and Other
multiple form of tickets, extra fares on
limited trains. club charges.
"2-Fxcess baggage rates may be in
creased 90 per cent, provided that where
rltated az percentage of or dependent
upon passenger fares the increase in thu
latter viii automatically effect the in
crease in the excess baggage charges
GA surcharge upon passengers il
/ sleeping and parlor cars may be mad
| amounting to 80 per cent of the charg'