Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-26
FREIGHT DELIVERY
WITHOUT CHARGE.
Issue Under Consideration by
the !. c. c. Affects Wash
ington Merchants.
TESTIMONY is OFFERED
BY RAILROAD COMPANIES
Projected Change in System Opposed
by Business Mems Organization,
Evidence Heard Today.

Justification of their attempts to abol-
ish the practice Of delivering freight free
Of charge to the doors of the merchants
of Washington was what was sought by
the railroads in the presentation Of their
side of the case at the hearing before
Commissioner Marble in the interstate
commerce commissions offices this morn
ing.
Attorneys for the railroads and those
for the merchants got into a wrangle
early in the proceedings as to whether
the proposed change was an increase in
rates, around which evolved the question
as to who should present the first. wit
nesses and show the reasonableness of
the change. but Commissioner Marble set
tied the matter by ordering the railroad
attorneys to proceed He said there was
no difficulty in reaching the conclusion
that the change was distinctly an in
crease in rates.
Generally. the witnesses attempted to
show that the proposed abolition of free
deliveries was reasonable on the ground
that the railroads were losing money
by the system. Figures were produced
showing the cost to the Pennsylvania
for the delivery of it's freight to the
store doors in Washington since 1902.
III. w. Bike represented the Pennsyl-
Baltimore and Washington railroad; +.
f. Brooks and Judd 4 Detweiler We're
represented by j. NJ. Hoover: the Retail
Merchants Association by NJ. .. Rosen-
berg. and the Post Office Department
by G. w Smith, and H. carlton Hanes
was there for the Chamber of Commerce.
Witness for Pennsylvania Railroad.
w. w. Bowie, freight agent of the
Pennsylvania railroad at Washington,
was placed on the stand. Mr.. Bikle.
for the railroad on direct examination.
drew from Mr.. Bowie a brief history
of the installation of the service. Mr..
Bowie said he had been in the freight
office since 1852, and was there March
l, 1883, when the delivery service was
inauSurated. He said it was started
because the warehouse facilities then
were limited, and the railroads want
ed to get the freight out of the way.
Mr.. Bowie said the handling facilities
had now been increased, and he
thought the freight could be cared for
without the free delivery.
The witness was cross-examined by
opponents of the. change. J. NJ. Hoover
said he would rest with the presentation
of the record In the CasasSa case. This
was the record before the commission in
the matter of extending the free delivery
boundarie out 14th street northwest.
Mr. Bike, for the railroad. objected TO
this course. on the ground mat certain
matter In the Easassa case was irfeie-
want to the present case. Mr.. Hoover
declared to cross-eXamine the witness on
this matter would be a repetition and
| take up the time of the commission.
| Commissioner Marble said that If Mr..
| Hoover would make an extract from the
| Casassa record OF those facts which were
relevant to the present case that would
| be permitted
| Mr. Hoover declared he would take this
course.
| on cross-examination of II. carlton
Hanes, Mr. Bowie declared he thought
the change WI uld benefit the Pennsyiva-
mia railroad. Mr.. Bowie. in answer 10
questions. asserted that he did not pc
lieve the railroad could continue the
cost of delivery. He further thought the
merchants would lose nothing. as many
of them would then have their own
equipment for moving their freight.
/ Questioned by Mr.. Rosenberg.
Mr. Rosenberg. for the retail merchants
then questioned the witness.
Your road has made lot of money
on this free delivery business, hasn't 1t!
asked Mr.. Rosenberg.
Il don't know: / don't think that is a
| fair question" replied Mr. Bowie.
| But it has been quite profitable, nasn
| it," insisted Mr.. Rosenberg.
Il think it has, replied the witness
| amid laughter.
| John l.. Newbold, for the Merchants
Transfer Company, was asked by Exam
liner Elder to submit list of the COM
tpany's stockholders.
II shall be very glad to do so,' he said.
| Answering a question of Examiner Mar
Ible, Mr.. Bowie declared the service in
Washington was established after that
in Baltimore. The witness was then dis
missed.
Mr.. Bike then offered number OF
tariffs for inclusion in the records. These
| were tariffs which included the store
door delivery.
Robert &. Wright was then placed on
the stand by Mr. Bike. Mr.. Wright is
freight traffic manager of the Pennsyl-
vania system. and has been with the
railroad twenty-five years. He said the
free delivery service was inagurated