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Show COMMISSION TO HEARJHIPPERS Five-per-cent Increase in Railroad Rail-road Freight Rates to Be Discussed. COMPANIES WANT TIME Claim One Year Would Be Required to Furnish Information Infor-mation Required. Washington. D. C, Jan. 7 Shippers will be heard next week by the lntei-state lntei-state commerce commission on the 5 per cent increase in freight rateB proposed by the 52 eastern railroads Commissioner Harlan so announced today at a hearing arranged for tne railroad officials asking for modifications modifica-tions of questions the commission asked to have answered before February Feb-ruary 16. Attorneys for the railroads told Commissioner Harlan that In some in stances It would require a year to furnish the information the commission commis-sion wanted in a month. Frank Lyon, counsel for the Pitta-burg Pitta-burg Coal company, brought to issue the shippers' rights by asking that the railroads be asked to furnish the cost of moving bituminous coal. Mr Harlan said there was no doubt as to the right of shippers to be heard as to particular rates, but that he intended to ask the entire commission com-mission next week to pass on the question of whether hearings on par ticular rates should be incorporated Into the hearing of the general question ques-tion of increased rates or reduction of expenses, or whether shipped should be given an opportunity aftel those questions were decided to pre sent their position. For the New York Central it waa represented that to answer the commission's com-mission's questions about lighterage at New York would cost $75,000 In clerk hire and require one year. To answer the commission's questions ques-tions about contracts for material, it was said on behalf of the Baltimore & Ohio that it would involve 13,000 pages of copying and a review ot 1000,000 transactions. |