Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-24
Defer Their Course in the Fiqht
for Free St0re-D00r OeIiv.
cry for Few Days.
MARYLAND CITY MEN
FILE FORMAL PROTEST
Associations Trafic Manager Ap-
peals to I. c. Commission to Sus-
pend Railway New Tariffs.

The Merchants and Manufacturer As.
sociation Of Baltimore through tts traf.
fic manager. A. e. Beck, has forwarded
to the interstate commerce commission a
formal request for the suspension of the
new tarins submitted by the Pennsylvania
and Baltimore and Ohio railroad com.
panies' which provide for the discontinu.
ance OF free store delivery service both
in Baltimore and Washington
such request. however, will not be
made by any of the local commercial
organizations or individual firms until q
plan OF action is decided upon followins
the action to be taken by the Baltimore
association at a mass meeting to be held
tomorrow.
Mr.. Beck's letter reached the commits
sion this morning. In It he asked that
the new tariffs be suspended until tn.
accessorfal service and within the term
commission has time to thoroughly in
yestigate the matter and hold q hearing
f'onoWing the plan of action to be decided
! upon by the Baltimore merchants tomor-
row 1t Is probable that the local associa-
commission.
Text Of Appeal.
After setting forth the tariff numbers
that are tho cause Of the controversy,
Mr. Beck In his communication to the
interstate commerce commission writes
AZ follows:
The attention Of the commission is
material advance In the rates from points
In New England, New York. Philadelphia
and intermediate points to Baltimore
This collection and delivery service has
been In eject in Baltimore for a great
number OF years, and the arrangement
under which 1t Is performed makes II an
accessorial service and within the term
transportation used In the act to regulate
commerce. The withdrawal Of the tariffs
also will result in an increase, in that
less service will be performed by the car
r1erS Tor the same amount of money,
SO far as nearly all commodities rated
under the first three classes Of the
omciai classification are concerned.
Full Hearing = Asked.
On behalf Of the merchants and man.
ufacturerss Of Baltimore and the mennbers
OF the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association Of that city. the commission
- respectfully requested to suspend. un-
der the provisions Of section 15 of the
act to regulate commerce, the tariffs
named above until q full hearing may
proposed increase in rates determined.
1t Is respectfully submitted that II the
proposed rates. under the proposed tariff
adjustment. become effective the cost of
transportation Of the articles under the
hrst three classes, from the territory
above mentioned. will be nearly always
doubled and in some instances tripied,
and. further, that the proposed action OF
the carriers Is in direct violation of the
last cause OF section of the act to
regulate commerce"
Central Warehouse Suggested.
The suggestion has been made In
Baltimore that IL the merchants lose
their fight for free sto.e door delivery
ne railroads ought at least to liver
this freight at SINE central point, con-
venient to all heir patrons. This they
can do by estatNah ng a freig re-
house. which IL these broken .ots
can be delivered. and where the mer-
c..ants 49,. .s~..- - n-Ir
own warehouses. 1t is not tnougnt
such a policy will be either difficult or
expensive for the roads.
1t is asserted, for instance that # the
free delivery Is abandoned, the mer-
chants will have to send their drays
to Camden station. to Calvert, to Presi-
dent street and to the steamboat
wharves. If. however, the transporta-
ton companies will build warehouses
at some central location for Joint use.
all this freight can be delivered at that
point.
Would Satisfy Merchants.
The same plan will work in the ship
ments. This. 1t is thought, would SO
simplify this matter that the mer-
chants will be satisfied.
Charles J. Columbus. secretary Of the
Retail Merchants Association, had a
long. conference today with M. d.
Rosenberg, general counsel OF the or
ganization.
Mr. Rosenberg was Of the opinion that
the merchants association should await
the result of the meeting of the Balti-
more merchants before formally launch
ing its protest.