The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-09
WILL INVESTIGATE
INJURIOUS BILL
Inland Trade Committee of Cham.
Der OF Commerce to Protect
Traffic.
WATER LINES dRE Ne Ks Y
Declare That Measure Now Before
Congress Would lncreas2 All
Transportation Rates
y 1TER LINES ARE t NJ. As Y

The committee on inland trade oil
the Richmond Chamber of Commerce
met Tuesday evening to consider
bill recently introduced in both
branches of Congress- which water
transportation companies declare will,
II enacted into law, practically de
stroy the port-tu-port traffic of the
country and will eventually result in
Increased railway rates along the en-
tire seaboard from Maine on the At
lanttc to Washington on the Pacific.
ON account OF the nitric ate and
technical nature OF the bill 1t was i'm
possible tor the committee to take
definite action at once, but each mem
her Is now making IA study OF the
probable results which would follow
ITS enactment and within the next
lex days Viii heid a second meeting
10 decide what should be done in the
matter.
AS reported exclusively in The
Richmond Virginiau several days ago,
Traffic Manager Goodman has fur
nished copies of the bills and re-
qursted to look into their so-calied
oppressive provisions. These provi-
sions provided that all port-tn- port
traffic should be subordinate to GER
tain rulings of the Interstate Com
rerec Commission To the extent that
all water transportation companies
I should publish changes in their rate
7 schedules not less than thirty days
Z before the new rates could go into
effect.
steamship Companies object.
This restriction practically every
steamship company In the country oh
jected to, since. 1t Was claimed that.
though every line had fixed rates on
a number of commodities, none had
definite rates on very large shipments,
as the rate was often affected by the
size of the shipment
= And since any company receiving a
cargo for transportation could not fix
It's rate and move the shipment with
( In thirty DAYS. II was claimed that any
tramp steamer could take the ship
ment Immediately, thus destroying the
1 business OF the regular steamship line,
and finally 10y continuing such meth
! DDS could ruin the business of the
steamship company and force II os
of business.
Are Not Protected,
/ Recently, however, substitute b'ils
have been introduced in Congress. ARD
these bills have lust been received
here They show that the steamship
lines are no further protected than n
the original measures, and the fear
that the injury to steamship lines
would eliminate competition which IN
many instances exists between these
lines and railways. and thus allow this
roads to abolish the differential rate
resulting from such competition, viii
prompt the Richmond Chamber com
mittee To make a fuil inquiry into tho
+ matter. and If necessary get In touch
with Virginia 81 representatives III
Washington asking them to use theti
influence for the defeat of the bill.
Already the chambers of commerce
and boards of trade Of number VI
cities along the seabqard have taken
action against the passage OF the bin
( and while IL cannot yet he said what
! the Richmond Chamber will do, II
goes without saying that should tile
Committee on Inland Trade find tbs
measure obnoxious or threatening tc
Richmond's rail and water transpor-
| thtion. the chamber will be officially
notified Immediately. and will at one.
proceed to take every possible pre-
caution. as II has always done. against
injury TO local traffic.
The agents of the various steam-
ship companies operating along the
coast without wishing tn kill every
provision OF the measure have agreed
upon an amendment which win he
considered Tuesday evening by the
| local committee along with the bill.
Not Affect Water Traffic.
This amendment Is rs follows.
And provided that this act sha'
only apply to a water carrier wherl
no reasonable or satisfactory through
lroute by rail- and water exists; but
! this shall not exclude the power IL
establish through rail and water
route where a reasonable or salts.
factory through route by rail exists
and tlii. act shall not nc construed
so a. 10 In any wise affect such water
carriers water traffic. and any trans
portatIon by water affected by this
ait shaR be subject to the laws and
Regulations applicable to transporta
ton by water"