Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-31
NOT REGARDED AS SETBACK
Conditions Such That It is Not Re-
garded as Essential.
NEED OF WHOLESALE HOUSES
Greater Washington Should Be Pre-
pared When Country Merchants
Come to Buy.

Inere VIII be no through billing of
freight from Washington to points in the
| south in the immediate future, ii indeed at
all This Information was received by The
star today from undoubted authority In
| railroad circles this condition is not regard
ed as In any sense q setback Of the pro-
posed extension of the local trade into the
surrounding country and the south.
According to reliable advices received
about ten days ago by The Star the out
| look for through billing was then most ia
yorable and 1t was believed by railroad off,
clals tnat there would be some movement
In that direction. beginning tomorrow 1t
now appears that after the situation has
been thoroughly canvassed by the officers
or the Pennsylvania and Southern railroad
companies the through billing plan has been
found to be tmpracticable from the railroad
standpoint.
It was conceded by prominent railroad
| official this afternoon that If the Southern
railway had freight station in this city
the problem would be solved. This same
official added that the trouble complained
of by the Washington shippers in the first
Instance was due to the fact that the
Southern railway had its freight tied up at
Alexandria. That condition is now obvi-
ated. he said, by the opening of the Poto-
mac transfer yards at Four Mile Run, mid
way between Washington and Alexandria,
| RMS gives the necessary power and ia Gil
tiles for the prompt handling of SOUTH
bound freight.
Unless Other Things Are Equal
Now, with the Potomac yards" said tho
official, -"all the through billing in the world
will not move the cars any more quickly
unless other things are equal. The South
ern railway officials are making every eff
!, fort to get the freight moved promptly
Cars are now loaded at Washington and go
through to their destination direct after
reaching the Potomac yards. The same en-
rrt M hot lie tIo Del
Potomac yards pulls the Washington
freight. There is no through billing from
Baltimore to the south, and never will be-
80 far as we can learn there is now no de-
lay In sending goods south. The Potomac
yards have now solved the difficulty by the
prompt handling of freight to the south
without getting into congestion at Alex
andria as formerly"
The railroad official said further that
so long as there was some talk of the
Southern railway running freight into
Washington with it's own engines the
through billing project was an uppermost
topic o. discussion. But as the Potomac
yards now form the northern terminus Of
the Southern railway freight system,
through billing is regarded as almost i'm
possible"
He also spoke of the quick handling Of
freight at the Washington freight depot
of the Philadelphia, Washington and Bal
and indicated that whatever necessity
might have once existed for through bill
ing there is none now
1t was. ftSvbelief that the manifests from
the P. w. & B. freight house for southern
shipments in course of transfer reach the
Potomac yards as quickly as the freight
does. He also said that through billing,
after all. was matter of accounting to be
settled between the accounting departments
Of the cooperating railroads.
Not Regarded as Necessary. -.
1t was added that there can be no
through billing under the present arrange
ment with the Potomac freight yards in
operation, and that there is really no neces-
through billing.
Another railway official stated that what
Washington most needs at this time sis
not through billing SO much as wholesale
jobbing houses along the lines suggest ed
In The Star yesterday, so that when coun-
try merchants come here for their season.
supplies they can find anything they may
need and not be compelled to order part of
the goods here and the other part in Balti-
more OR some other city.
Increasing Membership. "
The proposition is being considered to-
day by the officers of the Jobbers and
Shippers Association to increase the
board Of retail merchants in the organiza-
ton from five to ten. Mr.. Woodwork Clum
assistant secretary. said this afternoon
that 1t Is the purpose to get ten live
hustltng business men on the board and
then there will be results
He believes Mr. Charles J. Bell, president
of the association. will name the additional
five members tomorrow also the perma-
nent chairman of the board.
sSpace at the Jamestown exposition is still
being taken by local merchants, and there
Desirable hQ nd for