Owen J. Roberts

“ The latter territory is highly industrialized, and great quantities of coal are there consumed for manufacturing and domestic purposes. This comes from the producing districts in Eastern Ohio and from those to the east and south in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and adjoining states. The rates are group rates from each mining district; all mines within a single district enjoying the same rate to a given destination. ”

“ As we have seen, the coal which reaches Northeastern Ohio comes from mines within and without the state. Those within Ohio are grouped in eight origin districts lying in the eastern and sou hern portions of the state. Those without Ohio lie in two rough arcs known as the inner and outer crescents. The inner includes the Pittsburgh district in Western Pennsylvania contiguous to the Ohio river, the Connellsville immediately to the south, the Fairmont to the south of that, and eleven others to the southwestward through Northern West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee. ”

“ Coal moves from Ohio origins and from both the crescents to destinations in territory other than the destination area here involved. Rates upon these movements have been the subject of repeated investigations by the commission. Examination of the record and of the various proceedings with respect to these interstate rate adjustments discloses that there are four major adjustments on northwestward-bound coal from Ohio and the crescents. One is the lake cargo go adjustment, applicable on coal moving to lower Lake Erie ports for transshipment by water. ”

“ The rate from Connellsville is 9 cents, and from Fairmont 15 cents, over the Pittsburgh-Cleveland rate. The more southerly Ohio districts have always had a rate differentially higher than No. 8. Thus it appears that the adjustment from the crescent districts has not been, as appellant asserts, based on an average principle or average rates of all origin territory shipping coal to Northeastern Ohio. ”

“ Where rates are uniform from a group of origins to a given destination, it is necessary for the commission to find that the rates from the group as a whole are reasonable, before it can raise the intrastste rates. ”