New Britain herald., 1930-12-10
SHAKING UP RAILROAD RATES


 SHAKING UP RAILROAD RATES
 Railroad executives who were guests in this city last week made mpassioned addresses regarding the ills from which the railroads arc suffering; and reporters agreed that they were faced by a sympathetic audience Of manufacturers and traf- . fc executives. Scarcely anyone al the banquet in the Burritt hotel but must have felt that the railroads formed a greatly abused industry.
 The railroad executives desired to obtain the support ot the manutac- turers in thelr campaign for "Jus- tlcc and the fair deal" Automobiles, motor coaches, motor trucks, pipe lines. steamship lines, inland water ways and what not were all reported as conspiring against the railroads 10 prevent them from making both ends meet Put yourselves in our place." in effect declared the ra0- road execuuves. and you would want just as much justice at the hands of the Interstate Comm,rce Commission and Congress"
 Now the manufacturers have dis covered that the railroad executives seem well able to move ahead with some ol their plans, included among hich Is broad" general rate raise rom New England points 10 nearly every place on the map. The raise is the greatest since 192o,> and manufacturers are left 10 ponder whether they are to share in some oC the justice the railroad men were talking about.
 Th. idea saems 10 bc 10 make lt moro costly 10 transport eoofs over long distances. while making ii cheaper to transport goods between certain points in the state. In this way the railroads may hope 10 com pete with local truck traffic within the state. while trsurins them bet ter rates for long distance traffic, which tho trucks arc not so likely 70 obtaia.
 When inc entire situation IS anaIyzed ny aayone having the tlne. !. is found that rail rates are a conlpLpatad mathematical prob- lem. The Boston Herald had 1t tine other day that rates from Auburn. Me. to Boston, were higher than from Auburn 10 New York, and mentioned d few other horrible ,N- amplas throughout New England senator Shoot in the Senate loISs ago became dLsgusced with rates which. he said. made i, utterly in- possible for manufacturers 10 d. ,glop in utah despite proximity to certain raw materials some manutac- turers used in abundance; that it was cheaper 70 transport tho raw material n10 miles and ship back ths finished material another i.oa0 If not 2.oa4 both ways The long and short haul system has been vigorously attacked and de,er4ed ill the past and remslas 10 plague some and please others. Construc- ton Of the Panama canal created strong competitor for transcontnout- al shipments and ratos naturally conform 10 meet such competition as much ss possible. vajI, tha interior oclabors the I. C. (. for similar con- sessions The railroads have basn forced 10 listen 10 shippers for years, and a7 one authority recently srat- cd. the trouble with the railroads has been Ina, Inc shippers haze been able 10 tneluence tleIr rates too mucA Whether l4 wa4 right or wrong W. do not aaoN. though there >ocms some basis for rilaAns he may ha.e aean right.
 The railroad cxccuuycs -tle e>t- 4sn-e of waking ID 10 tae situation that concron's them and doubtI.ss arc 2ong 10 .top On shippers tooz a InrIe. Recently tho | C. c. m lis annual roporl Lad a paragraph which Was mtlrprc'od u} WaI Street writers as being favorably disposed toward the contentious Of the railroads, d po.nt that ,.e c>y- curiyes doubtless d5d not overlook. At least, they arc losing no tune in taking what they might unite in termIng 'approprlate acton"
 MR NnI NI'S T-I(-I