Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-08
LOWER RATES, FARES
IS HOPE Of THE |. c. c.
Report to Congress Urges Ban
on Wooden Cars for Passen-
ger Service.
b. Associated Press TO Every Evening.

Washington, Dec. Slope Is ex-
pressed by the Interstate Commerce
Commission In It's annual report to-
day to Congress that a substantially
lower" level OF railroad rates and
fares will be possible with an improve
ment In the volume OF traffic follow
ing the present business depression
and with further adjustment of
operating costs In harmony with pre-
vailing tendencies
Freight rates. following war time
! increases and some later rcadiust-
ments, have not yet reached an cqui-
librum. the commission says. because
the chief factors controlling them.
"the value of service and the cost of
transportation still are "in n state
OF lux"
The commissions report is for the
year ended last October 81. IL dis
closes that a total of s430 900 900 has
been ordered paid TO the railroads un-
der the government guarantee against
losses during the first six months
after their return to private owner
ship. and that there still Is due an
estimated slo5.oo0,ooo ON this account.
out of 677 carriers entitled TO guar
antee payments. the commission says,
547 have filed claims, totalling $685.
ooo.o 900. but payments OF only $685.
. 600. 900 have been held justified by the
commissions audit. No statement
was made with respect to the diff
I ference between the roads own sum
mary of their losses during the ST,
months and the governments find
ings. The roads which havtA not We
lnled claims for losses, the report adds
u are short lines and the total will b
6 relatively small"
o In it's capacity as supervisor of rail
s road capital Issues, the commission is
y sued during the year certificate al
lowing roads TO issue stocks an
N bonds TO total II s1,715,00o,0 900, th
Y report says. The commission point
out however, that this total repre-
sented for the greatest part refund
~ ing operations not Involving new an
- increased investment.
~ Discussing railroad earnings, -th
=, commission says the carriers incon
I. and expenses have reflected the III
-. settled industrial conditions and tn;
- despite the reduction Of the workin
,, forces by half million men, lowe
or ing of the cost of materials and Gu
lv IN employees pay the net earnini
have not yet reached a rate of ~
ha cent on the value of the properti
a. determined for the United States
ts a whole. The per cent net earnii
ns rate Is that recognized by Congress
Ial the Transportation act as tair =
a. turn on the invested value.
cd In it's recommendations the cor
n mission asks Congress to rceonsid
t. section 2S of the Merchant MART
uS Act authorizing preferential rail rat
in on shipments OF commodities 70. 9
re port in American bottoms. dcclarh
ON that the ultimate effect may
nc merely TO divert traffic from certa
be ports to others with little or no ga
lot in tonnage for United States vessels
ty. Operations of this section Of the 10
has been suspended by agreement h
tween the Shipping Board and {
commission.
ug Other recommendations of the COZ
mission are:
90 Enactment of n law providing (
ho tho punishment of any person offe
os ing or giving a brihe to an emplo
sy of a carrier with intent to iniluen
od his action or decision with respect
SIS. car service. and providing for &
n punishment of the guilty empioye.
That the use of steel cars in Z
ift passenger service be required a
nd that the use in passenger trains
b. wooden cars between or in front
ed steel ears bc prohibited.
nd Amendment of the Interstate Cor
IN morce Act so as clearly to provi
whether. and If so. how voluntar
consultations of carriers may be {
fectcd pending ultimate adoption
the commission of complete pl
of consolidation.