The Washington herald., 1913-07-23
Opening QUINN
! Freight WAR TO
BE fired TODAY
Washington and Baltimore
Merchants to Fight for
Free Store Delivery.
WANTTARIFF SUSPENSION
Civic Bodies viii Ak he Interstate
Commerce Comnissiea 10 Make .
Thorough investigator.


waged by the merchants of Washington
and Baltimore before the Interstate Com
merce Commission against the proposed
uiscontinuance OF tree store freight de-
livery by the Pennsylvania and Baltimore
and Ohio Railroads will be fired this
morning. when representatives or the
Retail Merchants Association and the
Chamber Of Commerce. OF this city, and
the Merchants and Manufacturers Asso-
citation Of Baltimore, will request that the
tariffs filed with the Interstate Commerce
Commission yesterday be suspended,
pending an investigation by the commits
sion.
Announcement to this effect was made
yesterday by r. p. Andrews, president
of the Retail Merchants Association, fol-
lowing a lengthy conference with A. L.
Beck. traffic manager OF the Baltimore
organization. Other developments in the
fight yesterday were the announcement
that the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad had
served formal notice on the merchants
of Washington and Baltimore that. after
September /, 1t also would discontinue
the practice OF free store delivery, and
the filing Of the new tariffs with the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
Close watch was kept yesterday at the
Interstate Commerce Commission by the
local organizations for the filing OF the
should be lost in making application for
a suspension order. Oficials OF the local
organization yesterday expressed conf
dence in being able to obtain the sus-
pension of the new tariffs, pending an
investigation.
Action In baltimore.
Mr.. Beck came over from Baltimore
early yesterday morning and spent the
xx.ttL 1fafo ~
the Interstate Commerce Commission and
with the officers of the local bodies. He
stated that a meeting of the traffic COM
mittee CT his organization would be held
today and that its recommendations
would be considered at a meeting Of the
executive committee tomorrow. On FRI
day a mass meeting of the entire MEM
bcrship of the organization is to be held.
He promised Mr.. Andrews that the full
minutes of these meetings would be sent
the local bodies Immediately after the
adjournment of the mass meeting. Mr..
Andrews announced that he would call
meeting of the freight and transporta-
ton committee Immediately upon re-
ceipt of definite Information as to what
stand the Baltimore merchants intended
making.
Word has been sent Maurice D. Rosen-
berg. general counsel of the Retail Mer-
chants Association, who is out of the
city, to return Immediately, in order that
he may be here by the first of the week
when the local bodies probably will def
nitely decide upon what course they in
tend TO pursue.
At a meeting of the trade and trans
portation committee Of the Chamber OF
Commerce. held yesterday, II was unani-
mousIy decided to cooperate with the
Retail Merchants Association and the
Merchants and Manufacturers Associa-
ton Of Baltimore in the fight.
BALTIMORE. Aid Needed.
After listening to an explanation of the
local freight rate situation by merchants
and experts on freight rates. the COM
mittee was unanimous in its opinion that
the Washington merchants cannot hope
to get better freight rates without the
assistance of Baltimore.
4. Winter. an expert on freight rates,
who assisted the general counsel of the
Chamber of Commerce in its fight last
June against the discontinuance of the
free delivery privilege, expressed the
opinion that he did not think the rail-
roads could be legally forced to restore
the privilege if they adhered to their
determination to discontinue the practice
in both Washington and Baltimore
BY its decision last June the Inter
state Commerce Commission ruled that
a road could discontinue such a service as
long as it did not discriminate against
any one city in favor OF another. WASH
ington and Baltimore are the only two
cities in the country which have ever
enjoyed free delivery. If ii is discon-
tinued in both cities, the merchants of
Washington can only hope to get the
commission to lower the freight rates,
which will he excessively high II the
free store delivery is discontinued" said
Mr.. Winter.
This matter of the rate" continued
Mr.. Winter. brings prominently to the
front the general freight rate situation
in Washington. AS a freight rate ex-
pert, 1 am convinced that this city is
Disseminated against, both North and
South. Take Greensboro, N. C., for ex-
ample. The freight rates there are so
adjusted that Baltimore. which is forty
miles north of US. and Alexandria, (which
Is six miles south. can ship freight there
for Z TO 10 cents per 100 pounds cheaper
than Washington. This is concrete IL
Illustration of what is true with respect
TO many points IN the South.
Thinks II Determination.
ITO points north of Baltimore the
freight rates are lower from there than
from Washington. Accordingly. Wash
ington is at 2 disadvantage both going