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Show "BUM NONSENSE," SAYS ' E. P. RIPLEY Freight Rate Increase Will Not Amount lo Fourth of $10,-000,000, $10,-000,000, He Thinks. SANTA BARBARA, Cal., Dec. 20. President E. P. Ripley of tho Santa Fo, who Is Bpcndlng tho winter hore, gave a signed statement to tho Associated Press today relatlvo to the proposed Increase in. freight rates to iho Pacific coast. President Presi-dent Ripley qays that tho statement that the total raise will amount annually to $10,000,001) is "rank nonsense." It will not amount to a quarter of that amount, In his opinion. Tho present rates between the Pacific coast and tho east, ho says, arc tho lowest low-est railroad rates In the world, lie points out that while railroad rates have remained re-mained stationary, practically everything that tho railroad has to buy has greatly advanced. Mr. Ripley asks what reason exists "for insisting ihat. of all Industries, tho railroad rail-road noso should be always held to the commercial or political grindstone? What merchant or manufacturer would bo eon-tont eon-tont with as little margin of profit as the railroads now get?" |