Evening star., 1931-12-14
HIGHER COMMODITY
TARIFFS PREPARED
Railroad Traffic Experts
Compute Schedules Follow
ing Pool Decision.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


NEW YORK. December 1.-THE
railroads approval Of the pooling plan,
whereby revenues derived from freight
rate increases would be pooled and the
funds loaned to financially weak roads,
has caused traffic experts to take steps
necessary in the filing of tariffs with
the Interstate Commerce Commission to
provide for higher rates on specified
commodities.
This new level of rates is awaited
with interest by shippers and security
holders, as we'll as by the competitors
of the steam carriers. for it is expected
to throw additional light on what part
rates" play in railroad competition.
Under the railroad pool plan there
will be formed the Railroad Credit
Corporation which will provide the
operating machinery for lending to the
weaker roads the revenues derived from
increased freight rates.
Trucking Business.
Interest in the transportation situa-
ton has been heightened by the find-
ings made public last week by the In
terstate Commerce Commission, which
showed that motor trucks were hauling
not only less than carload lots Of
freight, but many of the heavy COM
posed the railroads enjoyed a trans
portation monopoly.
There is a truck movement OF about
400, 900 tons of coal annually from the
mines in Pennsylvania to destinations
within a radius Of so miles Of the
mines. Commenting on this movement,
the Interstate Commerce Commission
said: 1T can be put in the consumers
bin in this area at from 81 to So per
ton less than the retail prices of deal
ers using rail transportation
A year ago Illinois coal began to be
trucked into St Louis in volume, some
estimating that in 1880 it reached $780,
900 tons. Despite the depression. about
10000 tons daily are now being so car
ried There also is very substantial
movement of eX-Lake coal from Lake
ports to destinations within a radius OF
$50 miles
Whatever increased rates are set or
coal will interest a large portion of th
American business world. for the pricG
of coal determines the price of all othe
fuels. The coal industry itself is in b
depressed condition, with exports thU Ue
lowest in years because of the depre :
citation of sterling, which enables TIL e
Welsh mines TO sell cheapest in vorlH ID
markets.
at rail rates but the trucks carry la
minimum load of 10000 pounds anId
make direct delivery So in the ert ID
total truck charges are somewhat
low rall-truck charges.
The average haul Of cement from a
plant in Louisville. Neb.. according 20
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
for the first six months of 1881 was lfl
miles. with an average rail revenue bf
S998l. A cost analysis of truck tranE-
portation developed that this traffic can
be handled by trucks at total cost, ih-
cluding depreciation and interest bn
investment, of s6324 fos the average
rail carload. a saving Of 1851 cdr
load under the present rates.
Motor trucks handle about 25 pe
cent of the tonnage of paving bridks
moving $50 miles or less in Central
territory and about SO per cent of such
tonnage in Southern territory. Refined
petroleum products are reported to be
distributed by motor truck for dis
tances within $50 miles of refneries
and storage centers.
Paper mills at Kalamazoo and OStego,
Mich. for the ! weeks beginning June
l. 1881, transported 27.644,253 pounds,
equivalent to about 53l carloads. of
outbound products by truck and re-
ceived inbound truck shipments of
scrap paper equivalent to about 947
carloads. Paper manufacturers at
Richmond. Va. ship their product to
Washington. Baltimore, Philadelphia
and New York City over regularly
scheduled motor truck lines
Movement of Wool.
Wool moves from Washington. Ore
gon and Idaho by motor truck to
Pacific ports and then by boat to BoS-
ton at total cost that is from :. of
cent to Ia cents a pound less than the
all-rail cost. Wool moves from inland
Texas points to the Gulf ports and BY
boat to Boston at total cost which is
about sos cents per 100 pounds less
than the rail-water charges. These are
Interstate Commerce Commission fig
ures
About 54 per cent of live stock re-
ceipts at the Kansas City stockyards
came by truck in 1925, but in 1880
trucks moved 20.9 per cent. At the
II leading live stock markets in 1925
trucks brought 5.378.868 animals. in
1928 it was 12.183,05 in 1929 it vas
14,5l0.524, and in 1880 1t was 16.947 ,803
Conceding that truck competition has
been principally effective in less than
carload lots and on relatively short
hauls, the Interstate Commerce Com
mission adds: But it is continually
extending to more and more traffic and
for longer distances, as trucks and
trailers are enlarged and highways i'm
proved"