Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-03-25 | Page 11 | Western Railways Ask for Conference

I5TE1 RAILWAYS ASK FORCONFERENCE Request for Advance in Freight Rates Expected to Follow, WASHINGTON, March 24. Application Appli-cation of western railroads for an increase in-crease in freight rates because of the . higher cost of labor under the Adamson law and of supplies and equipment, was forecast late today by a telegram to the interestate commerce commission, signed , by officials of more than twenty roads, asking for a conference to consider steps necessary to meet "a financial situation requiring immediate relief. ' ' While the western roads did not state specifically that a general advance in freight rates would be requested, such a request is expected to follow. The roads declared recently that a general advance appeared to offer the only solution to problems confronting thm. Application of the -western roads for a conference is in line with, the action of eastern roads yesterday, in filing a formal petition requesting the commission commis-sion to suspend its rules so as to permit per-mit without delay, a general advance in rates. The commission, replying to tho : telegram, set next Tuesday afternoon as the time for the conference. ! Southern roads have yet to b& heard ! from in connection with tho proposed ; general increase in rates. Because of, j different conditions and regulations ap-; ap-; plying in their case, there is some doubt here whether they will at this time request a general advance. Decision on the petition of the eastern east-ern roads is not expected before the conference with representatives of the western roads Tuesday.- In any event it seems likely that ne general advance in rates, east or west, will be authorized author-ized until after exhaustive hearings. The telegram of the western roads was signed by officials of the following follow-ing companies: Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul; Chicago, Chi-cago, Burlington & Quincy: Chicago Great Western; Union Pacific; Atchison, Atchi-son, Topcjsa & Santa Fe; Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie: St. Louis Southwestern; Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis Min-neapolis & Omaha; Chicago & Alton; Chicago & Northwestern; Chicago, Bock Island & Pacific; Northern Pacific; Kansas City Southern; St. Louis & San Francisco;- Minneapolis & St. Louis; Chicago & Eastern Illinois; Elgin, Joliet & Eastern; Illinois Central; Kansas! City, Mexico & Orient; Wabash, and Missouri, Kansas & Texas.