“We are gratified to have the commission recognize the necessity of increasing freight rates and we are glad to have even this modest increase.”
A. H. Smith, president of the New York Central lines, made the following statement:
“As nearly as I can learn from preliminary reports, the commerce commission has granted an increase on perhaps a little more than one-half of the tonnage, but to the extent that the increase has been granted it will help the railroad situation. It should also promote general public confidence for the future.
“The commission has recognized not only the needs of the railroads but the effect upon the railroads of the present peculiar conditions. The increase granted will not solve the transportation problems of the day, but we are thankful for the help given and will endeavor to make the best possible use of it.”
Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 18.--“The granting of the 5 per cent freight increase will have absolutely no effect upon the passenger increases,” declared George W. Boyd, general passenger traffic manager of the Pennsylvania Railroad company. “We want to establish the two departments of our road on an independent basis, and to do this we need the passenger increase as much as the freight increase.”
“I am glad for any decision that would bring prosperity to the people of Pennsylvania,” was the only comment of Gov.-elect Martin G. Brumbaugh.
The commission will aid in smoothing the way to prosperity, in the opinion of Alba Johnson, president of the Baldwin Locomotive works.
Twenty-five States are represented in a crusade which the lawmakers and school authorities of the country are waging against the high school fraternity, according to a report which has just been issued by the United States Bureau of Education. Of these, thirteen States have passed legislative enactments hostile to the secret orders, while the school boards of important cities in the other twelve States have adopted like measures within their own jurisdiction.
All States having laws on the subject provide a penalty of suspension or expulsion from school for all those who join these orders. The most drastic laws were passed by Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska, whose legislatures made it a misdemeanor for anyone even to solicit members to these organizations. Michigan and Ohio made it a misdemeanor for a school officer to fail or refuse to carry out the anti-high school fraternity law. Other States which prohibit these orders are California, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, and Vermont. Massachusetts empowers the Boston School Committee to deal with the secret-society problem in its own way, while Washington gives the same latitude to the school boards of its larger cities.