The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-03-07
1 ASK
LIlNER.FREIGRT
RATE|SIN.a.BI.E }
Hearing Opens Today in
Charleston With
Many Present
q ElGAZ MEM APPEAR

Need for Readjust-
4. ment
| CHARLESTON, March Ire
duction Of freight rates within the
state boundaries, to give the car
riers only a small margin on their
investment, such as producers were
now receiving, was asked of the
public service commission, today
al, the opening of hearings on the
reasonableness of all present state
freight rates. Such a reduction Of
rates. the, first witness at theihear.
ling declared, would create traffic
the carriers are not now receiving
and would thereby increase their
revenues. The hearing opened
with a crowd representing ship
pers and carriers which filled and
oyerflowed the regular hearing
room OF the commission, and ap-
pearances entered virtually every
branch Of industry in the state as
well as railroads Operating IN
West Virginia; all OF which are
involved in the scope Of questions
raised. m.
1 4 3
Commissioner Wfles opened the
hearing with a statement or Its
purpose to inquire into the reason
Eableness Of existing freight rates,
I'ahd asked for the filing ofsappear.
anees. "A large number responded
among them being wv. p. Tingley,
OF Huntington, representing the
Jobbers and Manufacturers Bur.
eau OF that city; Charles Doneley,
for the Ohio Valley Sand and era,
lsyet associations The United States
l'Rotters assocEat Ion; niyefsai Con.
crete company or New Martliis-
I;btlfg, ana the Biddle Concrete
.cpnpany q Park sbiffg;; p (. Il.
Leigh for the cling chaniber
OF Commerce, n d! eonneiI OF the
! Fatrmont Chamber Of Commerce
George s. Bracxett5 OF the North
ern West Virginia Coal sAperators'
assoc ociation, T G. tThornbnrg, rep.
resenting the Logan Chamber Of
Commerce and the West Virginia
Farm Bureau federation, Ira A.
Aikens for Monongah Glass com.
paIiy Of Fairmont, W. I Kurtz, for
the Domestic Coke corporation OF
Fairmont, and s. P. Puffer, secre-
tary of the Charleston Chamber OF
Commerce. 4f
After Fred LieZey5 OF Huntington
counsel for the committee, had ex-
tplained that It seemed not adyis-
able ito carry out program OF
hearing testimony by commodities,
Mr.. Tingley was sworn In as the
first witness. He prefaced his
statement with an announcement
that hei had made an exhaustive
study Of increases in freight rates
since 1917. Early in that year,
Mr.. Tlngley said, the interstate
commerce commission authorized
a general increase Of is per cent
\ in interstate commerce which was
applid to state rates under author,
ity OF the public service commits.
sion. In June 1918, another gen.
eral increase amounting to ,25 per
cent was authorized by both regu.
latory bodies, and In August 1920
In the territory Of which West
Virginia is a part, a 40 per cent in.
crease was granted by the federal
commission and applied to state
rates by authority of the state
commission.
Although II would appear at first
that these amounted TO a total Of
so per cent he. would now show,
tho witness said, that actually the
increase In rates was materially
greater than so per cent. These
increases were burdensome to ship
pers, he said, and to maintain the
e:war peak" rates was holding the
wheels OF traffic and the return
To- good business relations. ,ss
Shippers felt, he said, that car.
riers had been Relieved OF the war
peak prices for their coal, railroad
tes, lumber and steel and other
materials and had, benefited by re
adjustment Of some OF the wages
of railway labor to such an extent
that they were mo longer entitled
to- the increased freight rates. In
this connection he quoted from the
decision Of the interstate COM
meree commission granting the
last increases in which the COM
mission declared most. of the fac
tors were contantly5 changing and
that the rates would have 70 be re
adjusted later, sas the facts may
warrant. = Need for such read just
fment had been taken up with the
carriers, Mr.. Tingley declared, but
without any result.
Arguing that lower rates would
increase business he said many
ehyy commod dities could not move
under present rates. As an IN.
I stance he said it cost from s. 70
S1,eO for the production Of sand
on which the freight was an equal
amount when travelling only short
/ distances as 80 or 8 miles!
4 Erelsli rates were cuttaillng pro.
4 jected building programs In many
communities, tteSwitfessS said, and