The Washington herald., 1911-06-28

Formal complaint will be made
to-day to the Interstate Commerce
Commission against all public car
riers doing business in Washington
for unjust discrimination against
5000 residents of AnAcostia in con-
sequence of their persistent re-
fusal to extend to the residents OF
that part of Washington the same
privileges which they accord others
who live at an equal or greater
distance from the points of distri-
button. This action viii be taken
by Charles R. Burr, president of
the Anacostia Citizens Association.
LEADS FIGHT ALONE.
A committee of this association has had
the matter in hand for some time and
has gone into the matter with the repre-
sentatives Of the several utilities con-
cerned, and the report of the progress
that was being made was of such a dis
couraging nature, so far as the hope of
any adjustment Of the questions was con-
cerned, that Mr.. Burr decided to take
the step OF appealing to the higher au-
thority.
Express and other companies take
refuge behind the fact that boundaries
Of the city that were established by thT
Commissioners a long time ago have
never been changed to keep pace with the
growth Of the city, said Mr.. Burr yes
terday. with Florida avenue, or old
Boundary street, one limit, and the river
another, the companies tell US that we
are asking them to go outside OF the
city limits when we ask them to deliver
in Anacostia- But the answer to that
Is this" said Mr.. Burr, spreading out
map OF the city and taking a pair OF
compasses.
let US start with Union Station as the
distributing point for express matter and
baggage. We win measure the distance
from the extreme limit Of Anacostia;
we do not ask the companies to go up
Good Hope Hill or out into Hillsdale.
Now compare this distance that we ask
them to come with our paid parcels with
the distance that they willingly go to
Georgetown University or Aqueduct
Bridge. You see that the distance from
Union Station to Anacostia is only FIVE
sevenths Of the distance from Union
Station to Georgetown.
Ball< at the Bridge.
again, any of these carriers viii de-
liver to v or W streets northwest, but
they will not come to v or W streets
ooY,fbaasf That brid1a saar.s a. -. a.
point they all balk at. The transfer
companies will not come across It with
your trunk at any price. One employe
told me that he would lose his job IL he
took a trunk across the bridge.
"The express companies will take ex-
press parcels over and leave them at
either a drug store or a hardware store
and residents can get them from either
Of these places as they best may. II the
parcel is heavy you must hire q team
at your own expense to get a parcel
home that has already cost a carriage
fee that is good and plenty.
I'm the matter of kilograms know Of
case that happened only a day or two
ago TO bank official living at v street
southeast. A telegram that cost two
dollars in rates from Cincinnati was de-
nvered at his house In Anacostia and an
additional fee OF twenty-five cents coll
looted for taking II to his house. The
company would have delivered that mes
sage free Of charge IL It had been v
street northwest. But v street southeast
sounds great deal farther of, when it
Is in reality the same distance
I'm old days. before we could boast of
1000 inhabitants in Anacostia proper,
without counting HIllsdale and other
points, it was hard work to get some
of the merchants to deliver purchases
free Of charge to our homes. But by
refusing to patronize merchant who
Disseminated against us in the matter
Of deliveries we put q stop to that.
Square Deal Sought.
Now we are going to see il we can
not get a recognition Of our rights from
the public carriers. We will make |
complaint to the Interstate Commerce
Commission. recite the facts, and ask |
for an investigation into the cases Of /
discrimination that we win present. II /
these are sutjstantiated by the opinion
Of the commission we win then lodge in |
dfvidual complaints against the compa-
nies that have US at their mercy.
: ut was apparently an easy matter for
the Adams Express Company to extend
its limit OF free delivery to Twenty-ninth /
street and Cathedral avenue. under pres
sure from an influential source. and there
is every reason why We, with quite az
great purchasing power, with large
trade. and with q larger population than
that area, should have our rights in the
premises recognized.
However. we have decided 70 take
this step TO test our rights as wen as
the power Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission TO act for US. We wilI have
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