The Washington herald., 1913-06-27
MERCHANTS Win
Freight Fight
Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion Decides Against Rail
roads Contentious.
FREE DELIVERY UPHELD
For Two Years at Least First, Second,
and Third Class Articles Received
Without Payment.

n
tinue the free delivery OF freight TO thu
merchants OF Washington was frustrated
yesterday by the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
The ruling was TO the eject that FOL
| at least two years, from August l mex
and as far beyond that date as the fret
delivery service is in operation in Balti
more, the railroads should deliver FREE
| of charge to the merchants or wash
ington articles moving under the nrst
second, and third class rates from point,
in New England, New YORK CITY, anc
Philadelphia The railroads were gfvef
permission to discontinue in the District
the free delivery OF goods coming undei
the fourth class as such service Is moi
extended in Baltimore.
Zone IL Extended.
One of the important features OF the
decision was the extension or the free
For several years The washington
Herald, on behalf OF the residents OF
that community, mas been ngnting FOL
the free delivery service, ana the com.
missions ruling comes as the final crown
OF success.
The decision declared some or the Tea
lures OF the present service in Baiti.
more and washington TO De greatly dis.
criminatory.
For instance" says the opinion, ''the
merchants of New York City or Of Phil
adelphia may now ship certain property
TO Baltimore or to Washington and re-
ceive store-door delivery without extra
expense. The merchants OF Pittsburgh.
Pa; Cleveland. Ohio; Buffalo. n. Y, or
even Jersey City, N. j., or Wilmington.
nj k1u ehinn{n0 ltka
erty to either Baltimore or Washington
must pay rates which are substantially
in line with those charged from New
England, New York and Philadelphia, and
must, in addition. pay or sell, upon
basis which will enable their consignees
to pay, draysge charges at Baltimore or
Washington. The fact that the service as
rendered may provoke other complaints
of discrimination does not warrant the
carriers, however, in abandoning the
service at Washington while continuing
IL at Baltimore. That would merely
create an advantage for the Baltimore
merchants as against the Washington
merchants, without removing the above
determinations in favor Of New Eng
land, New York and Philadelphia"
Baltimore Given Preference.
With respect to the matter of discrimi-
nation the opinion says: in addition to
the claim as to the amount of the rates.
the Washington interests point to the
fact that such delivery service without
extra charge upon shipments of property
received from New England, New York
and Philadelphia, upon rates In sub
stantial harmony with those from the
same points to Washington, is now. and
for a long time has been. rendered by
the respondent carriers at Baltimore, Nd.
The claim is made that the withdrawal
Of the service at Washington and Its
continuance at Baltimore will cause an
unlawful discrimination In the view OF
the Commission this is the only issue IN
this proceeding.
The testimony shows that the jobbers
and retailers of Baltimore and Washing
ton are in a general competition for
considerable volume of trade. The retail
merchants of each city seek the patron
age of the public in the intermediate ter
ritory. There Is also considerable pa
tronage of Baltimore merchants by shop
pers from Washington. Also jobbing
houses of the two cities are in compet-
tion not only for the patronage of rmer-
chants OF Washington and the immediate
surrounding territory, but also in at
least one instance for the patronage Of
dealers in paper goods throughout the
southeastern territory.
Bridges to Re Crossed.
THE carriers profess to fear that the
continuance Of the delivery service with
out extra charge at Washington will pro-
woke complaints Of discrimination on the
part OF Richmond. Va; Harrisburg, Pa.
and other cities. These matters must
be met when they arise. So long as the
without extra charge at Balti-
more is continued, however, the posi-
bility of such complaints will not be re-
Moreover, the record indicates
a competition between the merchants Of
Baltimore and the merchants of Wash
ington which may or may not be shown
by the merchants Of other cities who may
hereafter appear.
THE free delivery at Washington"
says the opinion in concluding, has been
given in the past upon a wider range of
articles than in Baltimore. The service
in Baltimore is not extended TO articles
in the fourth class. As to such articles.
therefore. the withdrawal Of the delivery
service at Washington without extra
charge is fully justified as operating to
a discrimination. 1t is the view
of the commission, however. that the
of this service at Washington
upon articles in the first three classes
from New England, New York
and Philadelphia so long as 1t rendered
to articles in the same classes moving
from the same points to Baltimore would
cause an undue discrimination"
49, uu~-.u E-hI~-. ~ Sh.A>-