Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-01-12
ARBITRARY RATE CUTTING
IS UNSAFE, SAYS WILLARD.
Reductions Coming by Nat
iral Economic Laws,
View of Expert.
COMPARES WITH OTHER cosr>
IL. u q. 0mcIal Holds UnIlrnnd
thnrEen Are by No Nouns Higher
ThHn Those ObtnInIng In Other
Lines of Dcslncsn.
IHy Associated Press. !

IBy Associated Press.l
WASHINGTON. Jan. ll.-Railroad
rates are being slowly but steadily
forced downward by economic laws
which govern their levels. Daniel
Willard. president OF the Baltimore
ana OH" railroad. argued today be
Tor" The Interstate Commerce Com
mission. when that body resumed it's
inquiry into the general level oe
transportation charges. Their. is no
need but considerable danger n.
added. in forcihly decreasing th.n by
government cdict at the present slime.
Mr.. willard appeared az the hrst of
several railroad prcSidcdcnts who
VIII sum nj the ease of the common
carriers in defense of tn. .xistIn.
rat" levels lie was perccdcd nv
several statisiicians who presented
masses of figures all tending to prov.
Insufficient earnings from railroad
operations during recent months. and
m"ar"r prospects for arprcciahic i'm
rr"vem-nt even il present rates mr..
maintained.
what. ;h"n may Tn. public OK
pcct'" MIR. Willard said in review
ing the statistical case. .Mms, il
continue /" pay existing rates and
fares; l. N" relief To be cxpcc;cdY
Not on Par WIth0thrr Charge,
TO aSsum" that such is the case
""Hid 10" AN error In the past.
american railroads have afforded the
cheapest transportation service i'm the
world. They viii do 50 again. They
are. in Tact. doing so ut this minute
iiish as railroad charges are. they
ar" not higher relatively than n,b.r
prices arc OF We're. and il is imror,on,
I" remember that railroad char...
or prices were tn" very las, Ia 20 mn
an" ~ IN" nature OF things. cannot
-" IA" hrst I" go down. They can
ana VIII participate in tn. downward
movement Of all prices
III my opinion. Ia acCclerut. Tho
downward movement artiflciallv "a,
'nlS TIM" would injurc the roads ana
h"' benefit til" public"
Lower Gusts Must Come.
Lower costs Of operations. wbIc,
must lac attained befor. rates can h,.
cut Mr.. Willard commended. largely
Hcr"nd upou lower Labor costs ar
ul"h investments of large anoun,s
"i capital az h"ttcrmcniS. AMI unnn
tam" for ia" consumption of high
rr''"h materials st.lI in railroad in
-
with cheaper products
TIA: statements and statistics mn,
IN "NiG"nc" would seem To aiIord M
h"SiS Tor immediate and further re
dnCiion Of railroad rates" H.. added
l.. j.. W"ttcrl.nc, appearing FOR
N"St"rh railroads. fixed the sum Of
VIZ, $4,000 as the amount nv which
carriers in that distric, had failed To
earn a per cent return. while H. =
brigham. for New England lines. snId
there was an actual deficit of .T,Ola.-
900 on the basis Of their operations
during the year ended September 30,
1921
When the hearing op-u., today. IN.
nii"d states Chamber OF t'ommcrc"
asked tn" commission to call Serrc-
itrN Of Commerce Hoover, as general
r"prcs"ntativ" Of commercial inter
"sls in the rat" hearing. and the com
mission $" ordered. Mr.. Hoover Will
appear iatcr
Sessions wcr, adjourned today nm
I'll 4. VI Thursday
Must Install Train Control Devices.
Forty-nin" III the larger railroads
az the United States. serving prac-
,ically all sections Of the country.
were ordered Toy the Interstate Com
mercc Commission today 10 show
cause on or before March u. next
why they SHOULD not bc required to
train control devices ON their lines
The commissions included with the
order tentative decision. making II
mandatory up"n the railroads CON
ccrncd I" install the devices by July
l. next. which Viii lee adopted by IL
unless tn" hearings ordered today
cause q reversal.
Train control devices. the decision
said. have long passed beyond the
period Of Experimentation necessary
to demonstrate" their efficiency and
cNhauStiv" tests Of their operation
have been made under the commits
sions observations on a number OF
lines. The roads mad" subject to tho
installation requirement today. tho
commission SAID. ar" thoS. on which
traffic conditions and other considcra-
tons make such safeguards most de-
sira bic
The action is taken under "a section
OF the Interstate Comm"rc" act. pass
ell in lah6 which gives the commits
sion authority IN prescribe the train
control systems If these are found
Ia he necessary after an lnvestisa-