Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-28
in INTEREST OF TRADE
Movement Regarded as of I'm
portance to Business Men.
EFFORT FOR WIDER FIELD
Meeting of Citizens to Be Held To-
morrow Afternoon.
SUBCOMMITTEE TO SUBMIT PLAN
Energy and Money to Be Expended
to Further Commercial Rela-
tons With the South.
SUBCOMMITTEE TO SUBMIT PLAN

Whatever question there may be Of the
advisability of developing Washington as
a manufacturing town, there seems to be
no question In the minds of any Of the bust
ness men of the city that Washington is
the natural distributing point for the south
ern trade and that the city is overlooking
its chances when 1t does not take its legiu-
mate place in the jobbing business.
The matter has been discussed by local
business men for some time, and there Is
now movement on foot to form as
ISOLATION that will really push the city's in
terests along that line. There was meet
ing last week, at which there were repre-
sentatives of the Washington Board Of
Trade. the Business Mems Association and
the Bankers Association. This meeting de-
cided to gather a second time, and will hold
session tomorrow afternoon at which
plans will be formulated for a permanent
shippers organization through which the
business interests OF the city, especially as
they touch the railroads, can be served.
The gentlemen who represent the three
associations are Frank P. May, Benjamin
W. Guy. r. P. Andrews, Monroe Luchs, E.
]. Kelly, M. e. Allies. A. X. Paris, B. F.
Saul. John Joy Edison. c. ]. Bell chairman:
c. E. Howe secretary.
They have appointed a subcommittee con-
sisting of Messrs. May, Kelly, Andrews.
Luchs, Guy and Allies This committee will
prepare the draft of letter to the ship
per OF Warrington as a means of arousing
their interest. Then the matter probably
will be allowed to lie over until fall.
Review of tho Situation.
The general situation is stated to be about
like this: Washington is a big city, though
II has never professed to be a business
city. 1t is right at the gate Of the south,
and 1t has already without any particular
effort developed good southern trade If
one takes the city directory they will find
about a column of southern supply COM
panies in various lines of trada beside
which there are a number of other firms
in the city that do a wholesale and jobbing
business through the south and would do
more II the facilities were better and the
trade were once aroused as whole. Al
together there are about 100 firms and
lar outside jobbing business.
But this. 1t Is contended, is not quite
enough When merchant comes in from
any of the smaller outlying towns and buys
a bill of goods. he usually wants to stock
up In great variety of lines. The coun-
try store is really department store on a
small scale. and. while It sells In small
quantities. 1t sells little of everything
1t Is thought by the gentlemen who are in
terested in the movement that II q whole
sale shoe house. hat house and jobbtng
houses In several other staple lines can be
induced to locate here an outside merchant
can come into Washington and buy q full
line of the goods that he wants without
sending or going to Baltimore, Philadelphia
or anywhere else.
Alleged Discrimination.
Then there Is another thing that will work
out the formation Of the shippers associa-
ton and the expansion OF the city's south
ern and country trade. Washington is dis
eliminated against, either consciously ~ in
cidentilly. by the railroads. The city has a
good natural location as q distributing
point. but the freight rates from Washing
ton are scarcely lower than they are from
Philadelphia, and especially from Balti-
more, and they are decidedly higher to the
same southern points than they are from
Alexandra. One of the banking men OF
Washington in speaking of the matter to
Star reporter. said:
We may laugh all we want to about the
slowness of Alexandria, but they have the
business, and IT is q large distributing point
for the south"
There is a special charge for the haul
across the Long bridge by the railroads, and
practically a heavy differential against
Washington In favor of Alexandria. The
southern merchant cannot as q rule get his
goods as promptly from Washington as he
can from Alexandria, Baltimore or even
Philadelphia One reason Is that the railroads
will not give good freight rates on less than
carload lots. and goods frequently are sent
to Alexandria and there lay over q day or
three days waiting for a carload to be made
up and shipped through. The delays on
small shipments are even worse and more
exasperating.
The matter has been presented to the
railroads. and they have replied that they
cannot give Washington as good treatment
as they do other points because there is
not the business here to warrant it The
business is not here because the merchants
cannot get the railroad facilities, and SO
the matter has worked In circle for years.
Present Determination.
Now 1t is determined to go after the bust
ness and get 1t, even at the expenditure of
some energy and money, and then force
the railroads to give the same shipping IA
cilities to Washington that they do to the
other places that now supply the south
Not long ago there was what they called
a Merchants Week" in Baltimore. The
business men of the town subscribed money
and special rates were secured on the rail-
roads and special rates at the hotels. Mer-
chants from all over the south and the sur
rounding country were induced to come and
stay for anywhere from two days to a
week. Many of them brought their fam
lilies with them, and not only bought good
bills of goods, but spent considerable
money in town the side. They were
shown over the town, let see what were
the facilities both for buying in various
lines and Tor getting the goods after ..iey
were bought. and Baltimore decidedly In
creased her already great reputation as
the premier distributing town of the south.
1t has been thought that Washington In
the course of this fall. especially with the
establishment of some new tobbing houses
here. can do practically the same thing,
and there is no question in the minds of
local business men that If the mercantile
possibilities of the city are developed. as
they can be and should be. Washington has
natural advantages to attract buyers in
excess of those Of any other city in the
country.
What Southern Buyers Say.
Southern BUYERS have already told BUSH
ness men in Washington that not only had
they prejudice against the town from