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Show oo- ROADS TO RAISE FREIGHT RATES Washington, Dec 18 The International Inter-national News Service has authority for the positive statement that the railroads are to be allowed to Increase 'heir freight rates 5 per cent. This Is true of the eastern lines between be-tween the Mississippi river and the Atlantic coast and north of the Ohio river. A majority of the interstate commerce com-merce commission is convinced of the necessity of 'doing something" for the roads. The president has also taken up the question and personally analyzed th reports of railroad earn ings and expenses One of the railroad experts of the government went to the White House this week with statistics He found President Wilson had worked out the I figures for himself and knew mere about them than the expert. The president was deeplv concerned concern-ed over the widespread report of poor business in man industries He remarked that railroads cannot order or-der adequate rails and steel cars unless un-less they earn the money to pay for them With credit impaired they cannot can-not borrow. The decision as to rates rests with the interstate commerce commission. The are not unanimous, but it has been decided to hasten the hearings and the decision, and this in itself indicates that the commissioners are going to "let up on the railroads a little," for the sake of general prosperity, pros-perity, as one of them expressed it. oo |