Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1919 — TO FIX NEW EXPRESS RATES [ARTICLE]

TO FIX NEW EXPRESS RATES

Ten Traction Companies of State Empower by Public Service Commission to Establish Local and Interline Fees. Indianapolis, June 6. —The public service commission granted the petitions of ten Indiana Interurban companies to establish local and Interline express rates. The lines are authorized to file the new rates after five days’ notice. The express service rates are established on a basis of 150 per cent of first-class rates for local traffic and 120 per cent of the local rate for interline traffic, and are computed on the dlsque scale. The minimum charge for local express established by the order is 25 cents and the minimum charge for Interline, 85 cents. The order also authorized the lines to establish commodity rates on such articles as tee cream packers and bread baskets, upon condition that these rates may be cancelled at any time by the commission without a hearing. The express rates, the order prescribes, shall be the maximum and will apply to all articles rated In official classification at higher than first class as well as articles of first class and lower. The order also provides that express shipments sliall be routed by the shortest and cheapest route. The electric roads petitioned for the Merchants’ Dispatch rates because their contracts with old line express cbmpanles for express shipments were cancelled afted the companies were merged and taken over by the federal authorities. The companies authorized to establish the express rates are the Fort Wayne & Decatur Traction company, Fort Wayne & Northern Indiana Traction company, Indianapolis & Cincinnati Traction company, Terre Haute, Indianapolis & Eastern Trgc-

tton company, Union Tractton puny of Indian*. Interstate Public Service company, Marion & Bluffton Traction company, Fort Wayne A Northwestern Railway company. nona Interurban Railway company and the Indiana Railways and Light company.