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Show RAILROADS DENIED 15 PER CENT INCREASE " iy Associated Press. WAJ5HIKGTON, June W. The Inter t state commerce commission Iste yes- terday denied the plea of the railroads of the. United Htatea for a horisontat Increaae of 15 per cent in freight rales. In lt derision the commission Indi-1 Indi-1 rated tta wllllnaneM lo Increase class rates In the ICastern district approximately approxi-mately 14 per cent. Hinoe about one-fourth one-fourth of the freight handled is moved - under clasa rates, the decision virtually - allows the Kant em lines about 4 per cent increase In gross freight revenue. Jncre aought fn rates on coal, coke and Iron ore will be granted, 1 The commiaslon found, as a result nf etxendrd heatings, that the carrier generally show a substantial and increasing in-creasing financial prosperity and that they have ample resources with which te conduct transportation. little sympathy waa given the argu-, argu-, merits of the rootle that they were vic-1 vic-1 1 me of war prices, the com m is ton holding that the carrier have profited by the mobilisation of troops. The commission suspended the proposed pro-posed tariffs until October 21. but It indicated that no rehearing of the case will be of value at thla time and suggested sug-gested cancellation of the tariff. The fommlMlon finds that the gloomy forecasts of jeopardised Incomes In-comes seen by railroad officials early In 117 have not been borne out by the . figure available for later montne. Tne proceedings were brought in March, when the returns from February were Just being made. February was one of the worst months In railroad hiatory. The subsequent month have shown In-Creaalng In-Creaalng revenue, while expenses have, fcn many cases, failed to mount to the xtent the carriers official feared. CARRIERS' COMPARISONS. Th decision points out that the carriers' car-riers' comparisons have been made largely with those of 1H. which was the banner year In railroad earnings, and adds that the 191T Income might be tronaidtorahly diminished without necea-aaxlly necea-aaxlly Indicating a danger point in earnings. Commissioner Harlan. In a concurring con-curring statement, declared that ahould the next few months show that the railroad men's fears were well founded' the com mi eel on would be ready to grant relief. HO alao made a plea for (setter equipment and service. Commlaaioner Meyer, .dissenting In Part, disagreed with the commlesion'a holding that an emergency exists fn-aatern fn-aatern railroad of such character as to make m impenttive to authorise even the Increaned claaa rates aa-ncttoned by the majority. He slnterf that there i no proof that the return of the carrier car-rier of the Kaat for this year may not be more favorable than the pet returns re-turns for all but a small number of if ru in their entire htetorv. - , Commissioner McChord, also dissent- Ing. urged that the commission report to congress the essential facta disclosed and ask that an Investigation be made to determine whether prices demanded of the carrier for fuel and eupplles are reasonable under present conditions. He also Intimated that government control of these commodities might afford af-ford relief. The commiaslon authorised the following fol-lowing ralaee In class rstee for points I north of tha Ohio, east of tha Mississippi: Missis-sippi: First class, from T. to 0; second class, from I lo 7; third class, from 614 to 40: fourth class, from 14 to 42; fifth rises, 11. to 34: sixth class, 24 I to 10 per hundred podnds. The commission found In general that the effects of the Adamson eight-hour eight-hour basic dsy and of the -increased cost of fuel, supplies and materials hd not affected the Houthern and Western carriers as greatly as It affected the Kastern carriers. Commissioner Harlan. In hla con currlng opinion, declared for an Improvement Im-provement In present transportation conditions. "It will aufflis to say." he' said, "that whil th strains of th war have much to do with the present transportation condition, th one out-elandlng out-elandlng fact during the hearing was that our transportation eyslem Is lacking lack-ing In th capacity to meet th demands de-mands of the shippers and that the resulting re-sulting loss to the general public has been very large." 1 Commissioner Meyer In hie opinion declared that the roatle had not shown that an emergency exists. "Future events msy justify this In- j crease. Events up to tho present tlm hav not dun so," h said. Commissioner McChord directed attention at-tention lo the prolMiblllty that congress will art In the matter of high price of fuel and supplies. "It la argued with much fore." h aaid. "that thla la a' queetton for con-gress con-gress to determine, and that until It I clear that such control will not be exercised and that the camera' fears hav been realised, thla commission can not bo Justified In placing the burden upon the general public ol Increased In-creased rates. "If It should hereafter appear that the apprehensions experienced ky the carriers have been realised, then I am prepared to sanction such rate Increases In-creases ss will permit the carriers so to equip themselves ss to enabla them to perform in th meet efficient manner man-ner the traajspurtatioa reouired, - of them." . I |