Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-25
TO Join
|NFRE|GHT FIGHT
Baltimore Business Men Are
Holding Big Meeting to
Discuss Issue.

meeting OF the Baltimore Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Association
Is being held in Baltimore this after
noon to appoint q delegate to confer
with Isaac Cans. acting president Of
the Washington Retail Merchants As
ISOLATION. and C. ]. Columbus, secre-
tary OF the association, to arrange for
a joint meeting of the Baltimore mer-
chants and manufacturers with the COM
mittee representing the Washington
Chamber of Commerce, the Board of
Trade aud the Retail Merchants Asso-
citation.
The representative of the Baltimore
organization is expected to come to
Washington this evening for the pre-
limlnary conference, at which it Is ex-
pected to perfect plans for big joint
meeting and to set an early date for
the conference between commercial in
terests Of the two cities.
Action Held in Allegiance.
Action in regard to the threatened
discontinuance Of free store-door de-
livery of freight by the railroads to
Washington merchants is being held
in allegiance, pending tonight's con-
ference and the meeting of the COM
mittee from the two cities concerned.
Mr.. Cans is In frequent telephone
communication with the Baltimore or
CARNATIONS. at this afternoons meet
ing in Baltimore it is stated that big
delegations representing all of the
trade associations, both retail and
wholesale, rs well as of the manu-
registering strenuous objections to the
announced determination of the rail-
roads to discontinue free store-dooI
delivery of freight after having fol-
lowed this custom for more than a
quarter of a century.
Fund Will Be Raised.
At this afternoons meeting in Balti-
more preliminary steps were also taken
to raise a fund with which to push the
fight against the adjustment Of the free
store-door deliveries, and it was stated
that a hearing of the case before the in
terstate commerce commission will prob
ably be arranged, to be held prior to Sep
TENDER l, the date at which the order of
uiscOntinuance is to become effective.
1t is pointed out that certain paragraphs
of the act to regulate commerce, notably
section 4, forbid such action as Is con-
templated in the recent announcement OF
the railroads. The section in question Is
as follows:
Whenever a carrier by railroad shall
in competition with a. water route or
routes reduce the rates on the carriage
of any species of freight to or from COM
petitive points. it shall not be permit
ted to Incl ease such rates unless after
hearing by the interstate commerce COM
mission, it shall be found that such pro-
posed increase rests upon changed con-
ditions other than the elimination OF
water competition.
Boats Once Largely Used.
1t is declared that at the time of the
establishment OF the free street-door
delivery here many years ago much
freight was brought here by boat and
the ports OF Washington and George
town were both scenes Of heavy i'm
portations. At present there is little
such business, it is held.
A petition for the suspension Of the
railroads new freight tariffs has been
filed with the interstate commerce COM
mission by A. f. Beck, traffic manager
Of the Baltimore Merchants and Manu-
facturers' Association. and similar &C
ton was contemplated by the Wash
ington organizations in charge of the
night against the new order by the rail-
roads, but 1T has been decided to post
pone such action until after the con-
ference which is to be arranged be-
tween the commercial interests Of the
Two cities.