Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 287, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1917 — Shippers Are Advised To Ask For Overcharges [ARTICLE]

Shippers Are Advised To Ask For Overcharges

That local shippers wifi have an opportunity to collect from the railroads the excess freight charged them during the pendency of the rate increase before the Indiana Public Service commission was the announcement of the public service commission in letters sent to chambers of commerce and other commercial bodies yesterday. During the pendency of the question of the increase in local freightj rates the commission ordered that j the railroads should continue to charge the old rates until the commission had time to announce a decision in the matter. The petition of the railroad, however, asked that the proposed rates go in effect ■ on November 20, and as the public service commission had not handed down a decision on the matter on j that date the railroads put the in- > creased rates in effect on that date, j On December 7, the commission an-; nounced a decision permitting the ■ increase in rates, but a short time; after that issuing another statement that the railroads were without au- j thority to charge the increased | rates from November 20 to Decern-I ber 7. • The letter states that the railroads ignored the order of the commission in charging the new rates prior to the announcement of the commission’s decision and that it is advisable for shippers to file claims for the amount of excess charges between those dates.