Obviously the effect of the increases shown in the foregoing upon the quality of the average ton-mile must be in proportion as they have exceeded or fallen short of the average increase shown at the foot of the last column. There is no question that, in general, products of agriculture, animals, forests and mines are low-grade commodities, or that, on the other hand, the commodities classed as manufactures, merchandise and miscellaneous are high-grade articles. An increase in excess of the general average increase in the first four classes named would tend to lower the quality of the average ton-mile while the opposite effect, that is, a raising of the quality, would result if the last three classes should increase more rapidly than the increase in all tonnage. Adopting this classification, the following shows the respective increases in high-grade and low-grade tonnage: Tons. Increase. Class of commodity. 1899. 1907. Amount. Per cent. High-grade 102,457,095 217,164,053 114,706,958 111.96 Low-grade 339,424,528 676,020,919 336,596,391 99.17 ----------- ----------- ----------- ------ Total 441,881,623 893,184,972 451,303,349 102.13 The considerably greater increase in the tonnage of high-grade articles indicated by the foregoing is scarcely within the possible margin of error in the classification, but, in any event, what the figures certainly prove is the absence of any actually far-reaching change in the typical or average unit of traffic. That this conclusion extends to traffic movement is clearly probable. PRICES AND ACTUAL RATES. Comparisons between actual prices of commodities shipped by rail and typical freight charges on the same articles, for 1897 and 1907, demonstrate the fact that while prices have almost uniformly advanced the greater number of rates have remained stationary while among those which have changed the reductions are as numerous as the advances and exceed the latter in extent and importance. [Mr. McCain here presents a table compiled from reports of the Bureau of Labor of the actual prices of commodities and the rates between principal points of shipment, occupying pp. 50-58 of his pamphlet.] Examination of prices collected and reported by the Bureau of Labor, giving the prices in 1899 and 1907 of 229 articles, shows that among these 204 prices or 89.08 per cent. of the total were increased. The rates on forty-nine of these articles were advanced an average of 13.14 per cent. and the rates on forty-eight of them were reduced an average of 16.44 per cent. Other conclusions are shown in the following summary table: