Show utah mines have won rate fight efforts of railroads to raise rates on coal and ore have been denied by interstate commerce commission a washington feb 23 utah shippers will not be compelled to pay the 25 per cent increase in the intrastate freight rates on coal and ore asked by the carriers to correspond with the blanket increase granted on interstate rates by the interstate commerce commission hast last august this decision was announced noun ced in a ruling banded handed down today by the interstate commerce commission in the same decision intrastate passenger rates on steam railroads only were ordered increased by the 25 per cent in order to correspond to the interstate rates no findings are made in the decision regarding tares fares on electric lines and those these therefore remain unchanged the decision in the utah case Is the last of a dozen banded handed down by the commission and in all save this instance the carriers have been granted authority to increase intra state rates to the new levels ordered on interstate rates according to evidence introduced by the carriers in the hearing of the case this decision will save the shippers of utah and thus indirectly the consumers annually about 1 the present rates on coal and ore are found by the commission not to be unreasonably preferential un prejudicial or unjustly discriminatory the tight fight on behalf of tho the utah shippers against the proposal to increase the rates was conducted by the t h e state public utilities commission and by H W pritchett manager of the traffic service bureau of utah representing the salt lake commercial club the utah chapter of the american mining congress and many utah coal operators and prominent metal mine owners the opinion of the commission written by commissioner ford close the following findings I 1 we are of the opinion and find that the increases made by the respondent steam railroads under ex parte parts 74 relating to passenger tares fares and baggage charges and now in effect fact result in reasonable passenger tares fares and excess baggage charges tor for interstate transportation within tho the group considered in this proceeding and that the failure of said respondents to increase their standard intrastate intra tra state tares fares and charges correspondingly pon within the state of utah has resulted and will result in la intrastate tares fares and charges lower than the corresponding interstate fares and an d charges and in unjust discrimination against interstate commerce we further find that said unjust discrimination can and should be removed by making increases in said intrastate passenger tares fares and excess baggage charges which shall correspond with the increases granted in interstate passenger tares fares and excess baggage charges and now in effect I 1 we do not find that the intrastate rates on coal or on ore are unreasonably preferential unduly prejudicial or unjustly discriminatory against interstate commerce I 1 these findings are without prejudice to the right of the authorities of the state of utah or of other parties in interest to apply in the proper manner tor for a modification of our findings and order as to any individual intrastate rate fare or charge on the ground that it does not contravene the provisions of tho the interstate commerce act schedules of tares fares and charges in compliance with the order herein may be made effective upon five days notice commissioner hall concurring in la the th 0 opinion of the remainder of 0 f the commission save as to rates on oro ore holds that there should be some distinction made between rates on low grade and high grade ore but bis his dissent was and does not affect the ruling of the COMMIN slon glon above quoted |