Show FREIGHT RATES no 00 NOT AFFECT Railway M Man n A Answers Plea of I. I WASHINGTON AS July l i 1 Present freight rates rates have no no relation t to the condition of ot the livestock est I ck industry y Inthe Inthe in inthe the West Kenneth F. F Burgess representing se s-c s tin the railroads d declared before beCore the the interstate commerce commission in an oral argument on the shipp rs' rs I plea for lor relief in which tho the state utilities s commissions have havo Intervened Previously representatives es of ot the II livestock interests had declared that th tho hO- hOrates rates were destroying the tho West Yest and would result in the railroads being among among tho the worst sufferers Inthe in inthe the tho end The railroads not be allowed aJo to sacrifice the the- future futuro of ot the West on an on the altar attar of ot present rev rev- S. S H. H Cowan of ot the American Livestock association said Rate reductions asked by the tho shippers shippers ship ship- pers amount to a n year which would be but 12 per 12 per cent of the total tot value at tt the m market of oc the livestock shipped on V Western railroads railroads rail rail- roads Mr Burgess declared While tho the value alue of or livestock on the farm farmin in 1920 he ho added had suffered a deflation of toe the freight rate rafe In that year ear on the Western Vestern rates was oni only 7 Discussing yesterdays yesterday's report of ot Examiner Bisque Disque which held that tho rAt rates s on livestock e were ivere cre 1 low from froma a transportation standpoint but because of ot conditions prevailing pre In the Industry industry Indus Indus- try Itry they are lre hl high h Tr from froman troman m man an economic standpoint Mr rr Burgess said The economic standpoint represents represents represents' a no new test of oC- oC reasonableness unknown to the law without Riving giving any mca measure to t tell what would bo be reasonable and If It you ou find that these rates are aro reasonable from a 1 transportatIon transportation transportation trans trans- standpoint I challenge your our organization to reduce them Under the law he said rates on onona onono I ono one class closs of or traffic co could ld not be beI decreased BO so as to throw a n. burden I on other classes of traffic During tho the argument Chairman Clark if it there was was' anything In Inthe Inthe inthe the record of or the tha C case Ce e to show that the benefit of oC a L reduction of ot rates wo would ld go 10 o to tD he e producer r. r Clifford nUts the American farm tarm bureau federation mUon said paid It was possible the tbt might endeavor or I t to tl seize all the the- he lie benefits hene but d that there w wan Wa precedent to show that reductions in freight rates have I beep been of direct benefit to the pro pro- du ducer er |