Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-05
FIGHTING THE DISCRIMINATION.
Hich'd Merchants Urge Railroads 20
Change Their Classification.

very important conference was held
at the offices of the commissioner OF the
Associated Railways of Virginia and tbs
Carolinas yesterday between representa-
tives of the railroads centering in Rich
mOnd and representatives Of the follow
ing lines Of business in this city, Whole
sale provision merchants, wholesale gro
GERS grain millers, and flour, grain, and
This was meeting adjourned from a
previous meeting held December Sth.
called for the purpose of protesting
against a recent change of classification
made by the lines going South from
Richmond. which change works very In
juriously against the jObbing interests OF
Richmond in the above lines
The railroad men present were Messrs.
w. II. Fitzgerald. commissioner OF the
Associated Railroads; u. Nj. Emerson,
traffic manager; c. s Campbell, district
freight agent of the Atlantic Coast Line;
II. +. smith. general freight agent j.
H. Drake, district freight agent Southern
railway; w. II. Il. Glover, traffic man
ager, and Colonel II. NJ. Boykin, of tie
Seaboard Airline; Mr.. Newberry, gene
raj freight agent Of the Old Dominion
Steamship Company; Mr. Kyle, traffic
manager of the Cape Fear and Iadkin
Valley railroad, AM Mr. +. D. Hotchkiss,
general freight agent of the Chesapeake
and Ohio railway.
Statements were submitted to the rail-
road men showing the Injurious working
of the classification as 1t affects the
various lines OF business by Messrs. w
s. Forbes and j. S. Munce, of the pro-
vision trade; Captain f. H. Deane and
Messrs. Henry Wood and Harvey Savage
of the grain dealers; Messrs. Warner
Moore and G. L. Todd of the mllers,
and Messrs. T.. A. Saunders. Jr., J. d.
Christian. and Allan Chambers, Of the
wholesale grOcers, and Mr.. Jacobs, or the
commission trade
Letters were also filed by representa-
.f In me "a %
tersburg, and Lynchburg, protesting
against the present classification and
urging a restoration OF the classification
In effect before this change was made.
IL was shown that this change was made
without several of the interests affected
knowing anything about il. and as it al
tered the practice Of the railroads for
the last thirty years. II afected most in
iuriOusly the trade in Richmond and other
Virginia cities.
II was also brought out during the dis
cussion that the change Of classification
could not be enforced in the States OF
North Carolina, South Carolina. and
Georgia owing 10 the railroad commits
sions of those States having laws that
prevented IL. thus putting the joboers In
Virginia cities at very great disad-
vantage as compared with the Jobbers in
other competing cities in the South.
Ii Is believed that the arguments used
by the influential Populations representing
Richmond interests made favorable I'M
preston on the railroad men. and that
they viii arrange 10 give Richmond re-
lief against this hardship. but il is as
serted that should they fail TO do so the
trade In Richmond will use every means
in their power TO get a remedy, as dis
elimination of this kind, which anects
The citys commercial supremacy In the
south. will not be submitted 10 by her
businessmen. as every branch OF BUSH
ness in the city is affected directly or In
directly by this recent change:
The effect Of the change IN classification
Is to charge for the shipment Of goods
in SNEAKER quantities than carload lots
4 cents per hundred pounds more than on
carload lots