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Show ELECTRIC ROAD SEEKS UREASE II RATES II UTAH At a preliminary hearing before representatives rep-resentatives of the Public Utilities commission of Utah, which is being held today at the city hall, the Utah-Idaho Utah-Idaho Central railroad formally applied ap-plied for an increase in freight and passenger rates, to make the rate correspond cor-respond lo those of the steam lines of the state. The federal legislation raised the froight and passenger rates on all lines which operate parallel and in the same territory as the U- 1. C. a short time ago, but as the provision did not affect af-fect local and intcrurban street railways, rail-ways, the local electric lines did not receive a corresponding increase. The application of the U. I. C. provides pro-vides for an increase of approximately approximate-ly 25 per cent on freight Tho passenger passen-ger rate will bo affected but very little, if the petition is granted by the state commission, the only difference being tho discontinuation "of the prevailing ten -day rale. The irregularity of the present system sys-tem is illustrated by the freight rate on brick of the steam and electric lines. The U. I. C. prlco is G cents per hundred weight while the rate on tho government controlled lines is 8 cents. The electric roads maintain that tho increased price of materials and increase in-crease in the cost of labor, affected them in the same proportion as it did the steam lines, and that they should have the samo rates for freight and passengers. The case will be beforo tho State Public Utilities commission for several days. I |