Norwich bulletin., 1921-01-31
1s.eoo, 900 TO BE OFFERED
 NEW ENGLAND RAILROADS

: Washington. Jan. -30.-(By The A. P.) Formation of a pool to give the railroads of New England s15, ,600, 900 to meet this years fixed operation charges in. lieu of the proposed re-division of joint freight rates with carriers west of the Hudson river probably will be authorized at a meeting of trunk line executives Tuesday
 in Now York.
 The offer was made to the New Eng land lines at conference here last week. and accepted by majority of the presi- dents at the meeting. E. J. Pearson. president of the New York. New Haven and Hartford alone was loathe to accept the offer but said he would consult his board of directors.
 Presidents of trunk lines will attend the New York meeting on Tuesday, and hear the report of the committee which conferred with the New England carriers here last week Railrc A men have be- | iieve they will vote to gs the New: En- gland roads SIS, ,e00, 900 to tide them over a peripd of 13 months, dating from the first of the year ,> When the New England lines present- ed their application for re-divisioa Of rates to the interstate commerce com mission last November, Chairman Clark 1 of th4 commission, called a meeting of trunk line executives and asked them to name committee to attempt settlement l of the matter with New England presi- dents without forcing the commission to decide the case. The division of the | joint freight rates as maintained now cannot be, changed without months of study and work on the part of the fed eral commission and Chairman Clark has
 expressed unwillingness to undertake the
 matter without first making an effort to | settle the case, "out of court"
 | Tho committee requested was named
 and 1t offered the New England lines 312. 1000, 900 as a means of allowing them Co have a year in which to readjrst
 their management problems. The trunl line men stipulated, however, that thu offer was made simply as means oi saving >.the credit situation of the New
 England roads and not as any admis sion that the. New England lines wer'
 entitled to a greater share of the freish divisions. The offer of {12,ooo.ooo wa
 refused on the ground that tho road needed ;27,5ee,o 900. Hearings started be
 fore the .interstate commerce comInissfoi and have been continued since. Chair
 man Clark last week again summone' the executives here and asked them t
 attempt an agreement. An ofter of $ls,
 60o,0 GOO was agreed upon.
 It is understood that if the offer is ac
 cepted the case now. oefore the commis
 sion will be withdrawn and the joint rat
 divisions will rema in; as they now are. New England lines are unable to efec an economic readjustment in the yea
 they may bring "a rate case before, th ) commission and secure the needed $27 l 5O0. 900 year revenue in that manner. Railroad executives in Washington es press the belief that the next year vi , see numerous establishments ih the raj
 road world and declare that these wi
 enable the New England lines to forcsta = bankrtrDtcy by accepting the-offer of 6i irI trunk lines and waiting for tine to pla e the all important part in the roe of r ]. ducing operating charges It. was gal :, that a tendency to reduce labor chargt , already was eviseht. and that other cu
 in operating costs would follow as a ma l, ter of course. ' ' a. 70