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Show oo FREIGHT RATES ARE HELD DOWN Washington. Nov 'll. The inter State commerce commission will flatly refuse the 5 per cent increase In freight rates asked by the railroad ; In eastern territory, according to in- i formation today given the International Internation-al News Service. Owing to the uneejuivoeal nature of the railroads' application the commission com-mission will not be able to grant the e-oncessions sought Under the law the commission is reeiulred to answer in the affirmative or negative The commission may, however, indicate in-dicate to the railroads that If they will file new and higher tariffs on specified commodities, not above a stipulated amount, it will grant them, i ilthough there exists a considerable difference of opinion as to the com-mission's com-mission's power to do this The railroads' principal argument I the need of increased ratees because i of the injury to trade caused by the European war has failed to convinee the commission for the reason that despite the war, the net revenue of the railroads is not lower than for corresponding months of last year. The decision in the ca6e Is sure to come within a few days It probably prob-ably will be next week. But the commission has not reached an agreement agree-ment et on all the points up for judgment judg-ment The information given here comes to the International News Service from a most authoritative source Gains in Revenue. It was pointed out today as significant sig-nificant that the railroads asking for the Increase in rates ha e experienced considerable gains In revenue in the past few months. It was stated further fur-ther that the shrewdest officials of the railroads expect privately that the application will be turned down. The latest flgurees avallabl on tho earnings of the railroads in the eastern east-ern territory cover the month of September Sep-tember and show that the net operating operat-ing revenue for the railroads for which statistics were obtainable Increased In-creased from $34,622 727 to $37,188,-207. $37,188,-207. or from $605 to $648 a mile. For the first three months of the present fiscal year the net operating revenues In the eastern district increased in-creased from $104,978,077 to $107.-644,690. $107.-644,690. The net revenue per mile Increased from $1833 to $1874. These Increases in net operating revenue occur cospicuously In the eastern district, and to some extent in tho western district. They do not occur in the southern district on account ac-count of the paralysis of the cotton trade. The eastern district, howev- er, is the only one affected by the commission's edict The notable Increases In revenue were net obtained by an increase in business, but by the practice of a number oi economies suggested by th" Interstate tomnn-rce commission in its opinion In July, when it granted advances in rates in central freight classification territory, but refuser! them In territory further east. 1' is supposed, th refore, that when business is restored to normal activity activi-ty and the earnings are larger the net revenue of the railroads will be correspondingly cor-respondingly greater and more satisfactory. sat-isfactory. oo |
