Ogden Daily Standard | 1917-12-04 | Page 5 | Increases on Iron and Steel Allowed

INCREASES ON IRON AND STEEL ALLOWED WASHINGTON, Dec. -1. Increases on iron and steel articles ranging as high as -10 per cent were allowed to western railroads today by the interstate inter-state commerce commission. Tho increases, in-creases, however, were not as great as the railroads asked. The railroads had asked to cancel commodity rates and apply fifth class rates which would have caused increases in-creases varying from 20 to 50 per cent The commission hold, however, that these wore too high and allowed a varying scale of Increases ranging up to 90 per cent of the fifth class rate. Former rates on iron and steel articles arti-cles wero entirely too low in western trunk territory, the commission held, owing mainly to the depression of the Chicago-St, Paul rate in competition with water carriers. The new rates which may be filed shortly would apply principally from Chicago, Peoria, 111; St. Louis, Kansas Kan-sas City. Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth and Mississippi river crossings to va'rious western destinations. No increase is proposed in present rates from Chicago to St. Louis and other west bank Mississippi river cities and the commission specifies that the new rates must not disturb the present relationships in commodity rates from Kansas City and St. Louis. In explanation of thc abnormally low rate prevailing on iron and steel products pro-ducts in this territory, the commission's commis-sion's decision said: "If tho difference between class rate levels In Central Freight association and western trunk line territories may be taken as representative of transportation trans-portation conditions generally, the proposed pro-posed rates are not excessively high.' The shippers of western territory had protested quite generally against the proposed increase. no IB