The Washington herald., 1911-07-18

Ten days time will witness the
beginning of legal proceedings
against the Western Union and
Commercial Cable telegraph COM
panies, the Union Transfer Com
pany, and other concerns doing an
interstate business and operating
in the District. The proceeding
will be on formal complaint to the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
charging unjust discrimination.
The complaint will be filed by the
Anacostia Citizens Association and
will come as the denouement of a
campaign waged largely by The
Washington Herald against this
discrimination by telegraph and
transfer companies, praeticed not
only against residents of Anacostia,
but against householders in other
outlying districts of Washington as
we'll.
COMPLAINT FORMAL.
The promise of q formal complaint
which will throw the matter into the
court of the Interstate Commerce Com
fc of fnf ton S,.r
nished by the secretary OF the commits
sion yesterday. namely, that the COM
mission could take no action looking
toward a compulsion except through
the filing Of a complaint by the parties
Disseminated against.
The Anacostia association forwarded to
the Interstate Commerce Commission
Saturday a letter setting forth In detail
the alleged discrimination. This letter
will be forwarded, in copy, to the COM
panies against which the charges Of
are made, and with the
request that the alleged discrimination
be made right. But, as an official of
the commission said yesterday. no COM
pulsory action can be taken except
through a formal complaint
I'VE can send the letter to the COM
panies involved and ask them to right
the alleged wrongs said this official,
but we cannot enforce and change
tariffs except through a legal action be-
fore the commissian. and which must
have its inceptio1 in a formal COM
plant.
Must Right Wrongs.
IF the companies against which the
H. ,,l& -frrla~ h. al
legged wrongs, then we can do nothing.
as the matter now stands. If the COM
plainants choose to make a formal COM
plant, as required by. law, we will take
the matter up, run down all the different
phases, and try to settle the matter as
the facts in the case and the law dictate.
But until the complaint Is made, we can
do nothing"
But unless the companies against
which the charges are made act quick |
Iy and to the satisfaction of the Ana
costa association, the latter body will |
not keep the Interstate Commerce Com
mission waiting long, according to a |
statement made yesterday by H. o. Os-
:erman, secretary of the Anacostia body. |
AS a matter of fact. according to Mr.. |
by The Washington Herald
hat formal complaint is necessary be-
'ore any legal action can be started
rom the Interstate Commerce Commits
don will be the signal for the filing of |
'uch complaint by attorney for the as
VIM Wait Ten Days.
The association will wait ten days for
UGH a notification from the commission.
( at the end of the ten-day period such
lotification has not come, and no reme-
ial measures have been put into effect
" the companies concerned, the associa-
ion will file, through its attorney, Frank
J. Bright, a formal complaint charging
If the answer of the commission, in
orming the association of the required
ction. is received before the expiration
( the ten-day period. the receipt Of such
otification will be the signal for the
ling of the complaint.
So. whichever way the cat jumps, the
ormal filing Of the complaint is GER
ainty and the final settlement of the
loot question Is not far on.