New-York tribune., 1897-08-19
LOCAL MERCHANTS JOINING
MORE VALUABLE ADDITIONS TO The
ROLL OF THE ASSOCIATION.

ing remarkable success In attracting out-of'
town buyers and merchants to New-fork bu'
Is receiving gratifying support from the leadns
representatives OF the business and commercial
interests OF the city. Among the applicants ioi
resident membership received by the association
Yesterday were the Metropolitan Street Railway
Con,pany the banking firms of Henry Clews d
IN Barres Brothers and Redmond Kerr d
Co: the Southern Pacific Company. the Tide
water OIL Company. the Latin & Rand Powder
Comrany. the Hotel Bristol. Hartley & Graham
and the Chelsea Jute Mills.
The list Of local members Is growing Win
steadiness that is giving much satisfaction 10
the officers Of the association. and It is est-
mated that. without any hirthcr eHor' IMAM 70
nov, be,ns made. the total resident membership
In a year will be considerably more 'hah SIN
Thousand. As each of this class of members
contributes So a year. the association II pres
ent authorizations are realized. would have an
annual income OF $l50OO0. a sufficient amount
10 insure the permanent existence OF the insu-
tuition The nonresident class Is also rapo!
increasing and now includes over twehty-one
Thousand merchants living in all parts or the
United States large staff of clerks Is now
busiIv engaged in indexing the names OF these
members and when completed they VIII prove
a valuable source of reference
PRESIDENT KING BACK FROM OLD POINT.
William F. King. president Of the association
returned to New-York yesterday morning from
O,d Point Comfort where on the previous day,
he apoeared before the Passenger Committee Oh
the Southeastern Association TO urge recoh-
sideration of the action of that railway organ>-
cation in declining to grant rates to New-forK
for merchants living in its territory who were
members of the Merchants Association, ana
also for a uniform extension Of time on the ex-
cursions already granted by the roads in tha'
association to Washington Richmond ana Nor
folk. and for further excursions TO be arranged
for hereafter This question is important 10
many thousand merchants.
About one third Of the nonresident meihpel-
ship Of the association lives In the Soutp sou'h
of the Ohio River and east of the MISSISSIPPI
River in which territory nearly all the rail-
roads are under the jurisdiction OF the Sou'h-
eastern Association As the matter now stands
there is no uniform action on the part or roads
in that territory that will enable merchants 10
travel direct from the places where they i've 10
Ne,v-York While some of the roads have agreed
TO the reduced rates, others have refused to
grant them.
WANT UNIFORM DATES AND RATES.
In numerous cases however the Southern
merchants can reach this city by making con-
nections at terminal points which are in the
Jurisdiction of the Trunk Line Association, and
on some of the roads they can reach seaport
cities or cities having water connection, and
then proceed to New-York by steamer This
arrangement however. is complicated and does
not cover this entire vast territory, in all of
which there are members of the Merchants AS
sociation. 1t is specially desired TO have uni
form and harmonious action on all the roads in
that territory, and particularly upon the same
dates those which have been arranged with
the Trunk Lines, for the purpose of enabling
merchants in Trunk Line territory and at con-
Meeting points TO get TO New-York and return
10 their homes with saving in their trans.
portation rates. The Merchants Association will
continue to work toward this end and its Off
GERS confidently believe that the Southeastern
Association will eventually fall into line.
Referring TO his conference with the South
eastern Association. Mr.. King said yesterday
10 Tribune reporter Il stated the case for
NewYork as fully as possible A great many
questions arose in regard to what l thought
would be the future Of reduction of rates or
the making Of special rates tc trade centres"
SHOULD RECOGNIZE ALL TRADE CENTRES
Il stated emphatcally that every trade centre
should be recognized in the United States. and
that all should be put upon the footing,
leaving II optional with the merchants along the
lines Of different roads to visit any trade section
they saw fit, and which was to their best inter
eStS. In the past there has been great deal or
discrimination against trade centres. New-York
is tired of being Disseminated against. The
great question Of the Southeastern Passenger
Association and one which they did not like
discrimination against the ordinary traveller in
favor of the merchant These roads, however,
have on sale over different lines one fare round
trip tickets to the gateways of the Joint Traffic
and Trunk Line associations. good for fifteen
days They do not believe in the certificate plan.
Il then made an application that they should
put on sale tickets to the gateways Of the Joint
fy,o lot n1 for
thirty days from date of sale. This application
was taken under consideration and discussed all
the afternoon. No official result had been ar
rived at my leaving. i was informed that
there would be consultation with some OF the
leading roads in regard to this matter. and we
would be advised Of the result of it in day or
two.
TO ADOPT THE CERTIFICATE PLAN.
The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac
Railroad Company will place on sale tickets over
its roads to New-York at reduced fare on the
certificate plan adopted by the Joint Traffic and
Trunk Line associations, from September / to A.
inclusive. and September 10 to II. inclusive. the
tickets being good for thirty days from date OF
sale; and the Norfolk and Western Railway
Company will also place on sale tickets between
road direct 10 NewYork. it making connec-
tion with the Trunk lines at Hagerstown, Md,
and Washington. These dates are the dates on
which the Trunk Line excursions Will be run.
This much has been accomplished:
The Seaboard Air Line Will do anything In
It's power that is reasonable for New-York In
the way OF selling tickets in connection with the
Old Dominion Steamship Company at Ports
mouth These two lines are allied friends of the
merchants Of New-York and we now have TWO
more in the two roads above mentioned. The
other roads have sale excursion tickets at
certain dates to the gateways. good for fifteen
DAYS only which is not ample time for any ner-
chant 10 visit any of the three markets on the
Atlantic coast and do his business to advantage.
The boat leaving Portsmouth for NewYork last
night was loaded with these merchants.
HEAVY MONEY-ORDER BUSINESS.
Postmaster Van Co,t yesterday gave out state
inenr prepared by Superintendent Elliott Of the
Money Order Division. showing the amount of bDs-
ness transacted in that division during the first two
weeks in August. as compared with the record for
the corresponding period laN year. The statement
nnsia nrdeIs naid lurLng The