Western Railroads Demand Rate Hikes
Twenty major rail companies seek 'immediate relief' to cover rising labor and equipment costs.
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Washington.—Application of western railroads for an increase in freight rates because of the higher cost of labor under the Adamson law and of supplies and equipment, has been made by officials of more than 20 roads, asking for a conference to consider steps necessary to meet a financial situation requiring immediate relief. While the western roads did not state specifically that a general advance in freight rates would be requested, such a request is expected to follow. The roads declared recently that a general advance appeared to offer the only solution to problems confronting them. Application of the western roads for a conference is in line with the action of eastern roads in filing a formal petition later requesting the commission to suspend its rules so as to permit without delay a general advance in rates.
“A financial situation requiring immediate relief.”
Rail freight rates continue to be a primary lever of economic control in Washington, impacting everything from the cost of grain transport to the price of consumer goods. Today's supply chain anxieties echo the 1917 industry move to bypass regulatory hurdles in the name of 'immediate relief.'
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