The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-16
URGE REDUCTION
|N.RA|[WAY RATES
Farmers Associations Say c. &
O. Charges Too Much on
Air Line.
CLAIM BAGGAGE MONOPOLY
Virginia Travellers Protes,
Against Giving Business to
Single Company.
CLAIM BAGGAGE MONOPOLY

Two matters OF great Importance ia
large portions OF the Virginia public
We're taken up yesterday by the State
Corporation Commission, and FORMAL
orders issued against the defendants
One of these is petition for the re.
duction of rates on the Virginia Air
Line, division of the Chesapeake and
Ohio, and the other is an effort to pre-.
| vent railway companies giving monop-
olies to baggage transfer concerns in
towns and cities.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway is
cited to appear before the Corporation
| Commission on Wednesday, October 5,
| at IL o'clock, to answer proceeding
instituted in the name Of the Common
! wealth at the relation OF the Virginia
! State Farmers Institute and the Flu
wanna County Farmers Association.
| The petition sets forth that the rail-
way operates the Virginia All Line
branch, running from Strathmore, Flu.
| wanna county, on the James River d.
I vision, northwardly for distance OF
| thirty miles to Lindsay, Albemarle
soounty, on the .'old line The farm
| ers OF that section must, 1t is alleged,
| either use this railway or haul over
roads which are practically Impossible
| at some seasons of the year.
| Snys Purpose Defeated.
! This Virginia Air Line, the petlt'on
| sets forth. was the outcome OF COM
| promise made by the Corporation Com,
| mission in case brought by the Boar1
| OF Supervisors of Fluvanna county
| against the Chesapeake and OHIO, 10
| require the construction OF rallToao
| UP the Rivanna River at the time o.
| the. discontinuance of the canal lroln
| Columbia to point above Sttllman
| Mills. The reason was to furnish trans
portation facilities This purpose it is
now stated. is defeated by the eSorbi-
| tant and unjust rates charged Ivy the
| railroad on the Virginia Air Line, IN
| MANY cases amounting virtually to pro-
| h.bition.
To emphasize its point. figures are
| given as to rates to and from otner
| points on different lines of the Ches-
1 apeake and Ohio system. For instance
| it is said that the rate on tin cans
| from Buchanan to Carysbrook, on the
| Virginia Air Line, distance OF 1877
| miles, is "a cents in carload lots and
/ so cents on less than car lots. To Co
| lumbia, on the -ames River Division.
| 1879 miles. the rate is 81 and A re-
spectively, while to Johnson Station,
on the Buckingham Branch, $50 IL
miles. the rate is the same as to Co
! lunlbia.
On canned goods the rate to Rich
mond is given as follows: From
Carysbrook, 10 miles, II and 81 cents;
from Scottsville. on the James River
Division. so miles, Is and Is cents,
and from Alpha. on the buckingham
1 Branch, 1871 miles. 1 8 and is cents.
Really Trunk Line.
Further the petition argues that
| the Virginia Air Line is not really a
branch. but part of the main trunk
line. This is said to be shown by the
action Of the railroad in routing
much freight va this line. which is
known as the Washington Division.
A request is made that the company
4 produce its books and show the vol
1 ume of traffic over the road. What
ever this amount may be, it is argued
1T is minimized and stultitied by the
! rates.
1 The branch, the petitioners say, is
immensely profitable to the system
1t is said to have largely superseded
other lines. 1t is stated that formerly
4 it was the practice of the road to
route cars from Clifton Forge to Rich
mond and then to Gordonsvillc to
II avoid the steep grades on the main
i1llS, diiQ liiht tHt VII All lLlHe
saves us miles OF this distance Eur
Their. that the acquisition of this line
has enhanced the value of the system
and that 1t is one of its most valuable
sections.
The petitioners therefore pray tina,
the road may be required to reduce Its
rates.
Handling OF Baggage.
The other action is brought by the
/ ~ ..plt ~.
Virginia Travellers Association, a cor.
poration. Frank Ferrone and J. w
Avis. partners. trading as the People.
Baggage Transfer Company, of Lynch
burg, and George w. Hancock. against
the Norfolk and Western Railwa,
Company and longs Baggage Trans
fer Company. The defendants are re
: quired to appear on Wednesday, Sep
TENDER 2S.
1t is set forth in the petitio,
|. that the Peoples company ha
used by the Long concern, bu
easily distinguishaple. The check
are IN two sections, one OF which
placed on the luggage and the othe
S goes TO the owner. The claim 1
,, mat tie railway company refuses t
= recognize at its Lynchburg station RI
{, claim checks or other means OF identl
! hcatlon used by the Peoples Bapenr
Il Transfer Company ,or to receive ~
S baggage tended with its chec,
". thereon. - y
J, rhis is stated to have created m
), nopoly, and it is argued that the "a,
~ !, way denies the public the right 10 ha,
70 baggage transported and Identified
It deems fit. Further, it is said IN
att lalal to the business OF the compan
TO a's letter has 1t ss.ys. offered to "a
?, bond for losses or damages sustaine
is ana also to make it's checks I'm su
X FORM and color al the railway Gonna,
st desires, but that the latter mas !
In, manned obdurate.
rk Caused High Rates.
y rms action has increased the cost
ar ~ service to the public, says the pet;tlo
a ers, as tho Long Company, with a N
nopoly, charges % to so per cent me
than the complainant. The rai!w
ny company Is put in the light of contro
III Ing Its patrons baggage from tn
'er homes at one end to their hotels
ny the other.
On telegram is exhibited from L.
ia Johnson, president of the road,
n which he says that The Long Compa
gives bond and that only lis ella
= checks will be accepted. He said
gm had offered the Peoples company to
I sue the railways own claim checks
exchange for theirs after eSnmni