Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-05-24
DRY GOODS CLASSIFICATION.
Eastern SaDufacturers ASK she Trunk
Lines 10 L0WerIhSr
Bates On Western-RouR staple Cotton
Goods as e Last Resort

New YORK, May 23.-Rsprssentatives Of
the dry goods trade in this and other cities
in the East and West appeared today before
tbs Railroad Commission eli ing hste 10 sup.
port the claims made in their petition TO the
Commission, In which it Is stated that the
existing classification Of domestic dry goods
in the western-bouud traffic Of trunk Lines
is unjust, injurious to business, and should
be changed In support OF these charges, Il
vas urged that the class Of dry goods Cgainst
which the present class iticslion bears most
heavily are mGiDiy cotton goods Of The
coarser and cheaper grader, and IL Is especi-
ally ior that class of merchandise that re-
classification was asked. The rate charged
for transportation, It was urged, wss out Of
proportion to the value Of the goods carried.
II was also stated that these matters were
hrst brought 10 the attention of the Execu-
live Committee OF the trunk linss at the sug-
gsstion Of Vice-PTesident Blanchard, OF the
Erie railroad, and the petition was presented
TO Fink, and signed By nearly all the repre-
sentatiyes of the large cotton mills OF
Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,,
Come cticut, Rhode IslaEd, NV York ard
Pennsylvania, aud nearly al the
representative dry goods march ants
of New York, Bostor, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis and other
prominent ciiies. Ia this petition it was
represented that the Classification of this
kind of merchandise was raised during The
war because goods became 80 valuable SO 10
warrant it; that shirtIngs worth froJa 900
to $500 during the war nov sell for from S45
to $50 per bale; that these goods, as first
Glaze, are now subj c; to higher relative
charge on their value than any other textile
fabric, and are out Of ali proportion to the
staples OF t1e grocery trade, the Executive
Committee Of the trunk lines, 1t was con-
tended, met this petition with an absolute
refusal. Upon what principles the companies
have established their cla-siicatious and
schedules the dry goods representatives were
unable TO understand Pool Commissioned
Albert Fink replied that it is necessary 10
charge higher rates on certain articles in or
der that grain and other food products can
be carried at rate enabling farmers to ship
to the East and to Europe. This di.crim-
ination is for the benefit of trade in
in the benefits. Individual consumers
OF domestic dry goods would benefit
so little by the reduction OF freight rates on
that class of goods that me diff renee in the
cost would be inappreciaole, while the re.
duc,ion would not benefit trade by Causing
all increased demand Tor their goods. Silk
and the higher classes OF dry goods bear such
relatively email proportion 10 the bulk Of
weight to the AMOUNT of dry goods Of lower
clayses sbipped that il would be necessary to
charge very high rates or them to MAKE VI
for the reduction on lhs latter. Discrimina-
ton must exist, he argued, between several
classes of articles, and rates on the classes
cannot De established on bases OF the csst Of
service. Alter further discussion of tht
subject the Commission adjourned to Junt
12th