Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-07-20
HIGHER RATES TO TEND
TO THE CONCENTRATION
OF ! O 3 b IN G. BUSINESS

CONTINUED From First PkEc)
ton. In such n manner as TO do away
with many. Il not most. OF the pres
Ont commodity rates applicable Oh
trafic on which no class rate is APP
Piled and To substitute CLASS rates
therefor. In view OF III. FAC; tina,
about 30 per cen, Of all traiHc move.
on commodity rates, Commissioner
Eastman. who Is presiding At the At
lnnta hearings. asked II the carriers
could not work out an adjustment Of
class rates so TO carry carlond
freight, Mr.. GOODWIN. In reply. AT
ter cnnsultation with his steering
committee said no The provence Of
any quantity ratings in tho cia.stn-
cation would prevent For example.
rice is in NTH class any Quant!ty.
The adjustment would be TO change
the classification. hfth ciass less than
carload. sixth class carload.
PInn General RevIsion.
He thinks the classification Nigh,
we'll carry twelve classes instead OF
ten as at present. and many articles
could be placed therein and shifted
In position as occasion might re-
auire. Some day. perhaps. said
Charles BRrhari. freight traflo man
ager OF the Nashville. Chattanooga
and ST. Louis Railway. al, freight
Will be in classes except such items
as coal, sand. live stock. lumber and
naval stores and on lesa than car
load business. there may he then mo
commodity rates except on grain. Tho
committee has alrfady proceeded with
the work OF redheck!ng commodity
rates with a view TO presenting a
general revision at an early day.
This presents elements which tho
shippers must carefully consider,
Much commerce has boon bunt on
commodity rates 10 suit the needs
OF the hour and TO build up new
lines. Their counsel are trying to
look ahead
II liz proposed 10 make considerable
advances in all less than carload
rates II IL shown in evidence that
IL costs great deal more to handle
this than In carload lots. Crew wages
are seven to ten times as much on
the local trains that carry the smaller
shipments. coal ono and one-halt
times az much; only about one-ftth
as much freight is carried on car.
While the average loading OF all
freight in the South Is about twenty
i've tons. on less than carload bust
ness II is three 10 six tons. In Nor
folk at the Atlantic Coast Line
terminal at Primers Point, II Is, ac-
cording to the testimony, aO54
pounds. ClaimB for loss and damage
are much greater on less than car
load shipments. In his enthusiasm
for large advance in rates on this
class OF traffic. Mr.. Barham asserted
his belief that all less than carload
rates In tho country could be doubled
over night without disturbance to
anybody's business He saws all the
complaints OF high rates arc over
carload ngures. and ne cannot re-
member KICK over less than>car-
load rate.
This proposal may he loaded with
live alligators or with lumber con
ceaifns n colored man. The shippers
are doing some thinking.
Seek Intrastate Changes.
lntrastate rates are not directly In
volved In the pending investigation.
hut the carriers say they expect to
put into effect intrastate In all South
ern States whatever level of rates Is
approved by the Interstate Commerce
Commission In this case. 1t is a.vex-
Ing subject.
Mr.. Barham, the spokesman for
the standard class rate mileage scale.
says with great earnestness that II
Will distribute the jObbinR business
over wider territory and into smaller
communities. Yet he argues ut an
other breath and in another set OF
exhibits for making Increases I'm less
than carload rates. Counsel for the
Virginia Traffic League in Atlanta
drew from him the admission that
tho tendency resulting from much
higher rates on this traffic would be
to concentrate the jobbing business
rather than scatter 1t. After all. the
trade IN live alligators might we'll
he held in Jacksonville. where it be-
longs.
Dfphtherln I'm DnnyiIIe