OCR Text |
Show EARLY DECISION ON RATE CASES . I T I it mi . . " ' 1 InterstateCommerce Commission To Put In Entire Time On Railroad Question Washington, April 1. A decision by the Intcrstato commerco commission commis-sion on the freight rato increases asked by tho eastern railroads Is expected ex-pected much earlier than had been planned. It may bo handed down within a month. Recent dovolopments have Impelled the commission to put asldo collateral collat-eral issues and extraneous questions and devote practically its entire time to tho rato question. Such questions as spotting car charges, char-ges, freo service of various hinds and similar proposition that have been considered with the' application of ths roads, it was understood today will not be permitted to Interfere further fur-ther with ths fundamental proposl-'tion proposl-'tion of t rata Increase . Work To B Rushed It Is ths purpose t the commission to expedite In ever possible way final fin-al tilsposHlon of the case and to that end continuous hearings will be held until the testimony shall havo been concluded. It Is expected then that tho caso may bo submitted, cither on briofB, which now are practically prepared hnd without oral argument, or on briefs with only short arguments. Counsel for tho railroads already havo indicated that they may wnlvo their rlglit to arguo tho case orally, and submit it on briefs. They lrnvo In somo Insthncos expressed tholr willingness wil-lingness to Btand on tho oldcnco nd-duccd. nd-duccd. It Is bolloved not to bo unlllfoly that tho commission ltseU may malo announcement of Its purpnso to fa-ctlltato fa-ctlltato tho disposition of tho caso. Unusual Procedure Method Tho method of proccduro outlined Is said to bo most unusual. According to information obtnincil toddy, It is tho purposo of tlio commission com-mission to postpone for tho present, consideration of tho car spotting charge, freo services rendered by railroads to shippers and Blmllar shlo issues of tho rato advance case, but not to abandon them. When tho hearing wob resumed to- I day- before Chairman Harland and Commissioners Clements and Me-Chord, Me-Chord, President Delano of the Mon-on Mon-on explained In detail from charts ho had prepared tho plight In whloh the roads of Central Freight association territory today find themselves. President Smith of tho Now York Central described tho financial situ- ' ntion on that B)stem, dwelling at somo length on the necessity, with which ho said, tho system had been confronted of Inylncpft Jong tlmo and experienced employes and of curtailing curtail-ing expenditures in Improvements. Reduction Of Forces Snce September, 1013, said President Presi-dent Smith, wo havo 'been forced to reduce our operating force by 27,fiOO I men. In Fobruary of this year lis 1 wo had 15,000 less men. Our gross I revenues In 1913 wero $49,000,000 moro than they wero in 1910 yet our I net incomo was $3,284,000 less than I it was In 1910 before wo had put the I Immense omount of now capital Into I . tho property. I In response to an inquiry, Prcsi- 1 dent Smith said that ot tho total of ( $1G9,000,000 now capital put into tho ayBtem bIiico 1910, only $16,000,000 hud gono into tho now terminal facll- Itles and Orand Central station in Now Yorlt. |