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Show COMMISSION TO HEAR ARGUMENT ON RATES Shippers and Freight Receivers in California Cali-fornia Protest Against Increase. SAN FRANCISCO, June 21. Presidents Presi-dents and executives of thirty-three railroads and ten steamboat lines, with representatives of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and of organizations organiza-tions of California shippers, assembled here today at the opening of the California Cali-fornia railroad commission's hearing on the application of the carriers for a horizontal increase of 15 per cent in existing freight tariffs within the state. The board of directors of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce adopted adopt-ed resolutions protesting against the proposed tariff advances. Snippers and freight? receivers contend con-tend that any added operating expenses ex-penses incurred by the railroads are more than taken care of by increased volume of business. One of the outstanding pleas advanced ad-vanced by the carriers is that a 15 per cent increase in rates will enable them to make .adequate provisions for the country's war needs from a transportation transpor-tation standpoint. Within the last two weeks the carriers have conducted a campaign through newspaper publicity in the interests of their request. The shrinking purchasing price of the dollar and the decrease in value of railroad securities were dwelt upon by witnesses today. Professor F. R. MacAuly of the economics eco-nomics department of the University of California testified that at the present pres-ent time it requires $2.50 to purchase what $1 bought in 1896. Motor busses and the United States parcel post have greatly depleted revenue reve-nue of short-line railroads, according to A. M. Swobe, president of the Western Association of Short Line Railroads. |