The Bismarck tribune., 1935-03-30
lCC PERMITS ROADS
TOADD EMERGENCY
CHARGES, HOWEVER
Will Apply to Large Part Of
Freight Traffic Over Coun.
try June 80, 1896
FARM PRODUCTS EXEMPTED
Decision ls Reached by Vote Of
s to 4; Disssntsrs See
Ceiling Reached
FARM PRODUCTS EXEMPTED

Washington, March 30.-(R-Amer-
ican railroads were denied the right
to make . horizontal increase In
freight rates Saturday but ut the
same time were authorized by the in
terstate commerce commission In q
split decision again to add emergency
charges to existing rates.
The emergency charges will apply
to q large part Of the freight traffic
Of the country until June 30, 1896.
They are similar, said . commits
sion resume. except In amounts, ia
those which were authorised In 1881
and which ended September 30. 1883.
Decision Voted TO Z
The decision was reached by vote
Of s to I. Commissioners Meyer, Nc
Manamy, Lee, Mahaffie and Splawn
took the view that the railroads ore
confronted by grave emergency
which warrants some measure OF re-
lief for the next IS months.
Chairman Tate and Commissioners
Atchison, Porter and Miller dissented.
asserting they believed railroad rates
now are 1t the ceiling Of reason
ableness" and that increase Of gen
eral nature would make them unrea-
sonable and tend to defeat their own
purpose by aliensting traffic from
the railroads.
The emergency charges IN general
on carload traffic viii be seven per
cent Of the total line haul trauspor-
tation charge subject to maximum
Of five cents per 100 pounds. On .
long list Of commodities, however.
specific maximum charges Of less
than five cents are provided. No ad-
ditional charge Is authorized on less
than carload traffic for distances un-
der 200 miles and where the haul is
for greater distances the charges
range from one to II cents. accord.
ing to distance.
Farm Products Exempted
No emergency charges are author
lied for farm products In general.
Fresh vegetables, fruit. cattle, sheep,
hogs, milk. lumber and fertilisers are
included in the exemption.
Ga14SCA 6C41Cy V4So4 go 0AS OOSASO4 A0GW
on coal and coke ranging from three
to Is cents per net ton and on iron
ore at 10 cents per net ton.
The charge on petroleum products
Is fixed ct one cent per 100 pounds.
On sand, gravel and certain kinds Of
stone q maximum Of one cent per 100
pounds Is authorized where the line
haul rates are 81 per ton or over.
No charge Is permitted where the
rate Is less than 81. Switching charges
are to be increased 10 per cent.
A proposal Of the railroads to make
q charge Of 81 for issuance Of bills Of
lading was disapproved.
The majority report did not give
any estimate Of the additional reve.
nue. the railroads would probably de.
rive but In his dissenting opinion
Commissioners Miller said that It
would appear to afford about one.
half Of the additional revenue esti.
mated by the carriers In their pro-
posal."
The carriers estimated the add
tional revenue they were asking ct
$l7o. 900 . year.
The emergency charges win become
effective Is soon Is the railroads can
file blanket supplements to their pres
ent rates embodying emergency fig.
ures. The commission provided that
these supplemental rates shall take
effect subject 20 the proviso that they
be subject to complaint, investigation
and determination as to the lawful
I,ess Of schedules or rates as provided
by law.
As in the case Of the 1881 emery
ency charges the railroads will have
to take their case to each state COM
mission throughout the country.