Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-26
Suspension of Tariffs.

| If the commission orders the suspension
it probably will be for a period of five
or six months dating from September 1
the time at which the roads propose the
new rates shall so into effect. This will
enable the Baltimore merchants to gather
the necessary information and evidence
| and appear before the commission at a
| hearing.
| Should the commission refuse to suspend
the new tariffs, the Baltimore associa
/, tion will then draw up a formal protes
| against the rates for submission to the
| commission
| 1t is probable that the local association
| will follow a plan of action similar t6
mat adopted by the Baltimore association
A request that the tariffs be suspended
pending an investigation probably will be
filed by either the Retail Merchants AS
| soc. alton or the Chamber of Commerce
or both, early next week.
Baltimore Men to Employ. Counsel.
| Definite plans for a fight against the
withdrawal of free freight delivery and
collection service by the Pennsylvania and
Baltimore and Ohio railroads were deter
| mined upon by the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' Association of Baltimore yes
terday afternoon. when it was ordered
| that counsel be employed to carry the
case before the Interstate commerce COM
mission.
President Henry F. Baker. who presided
at the general meeting of the association
| at which this action was taken warned
| the members that the fight would be ex-
pensive and a special fund would have to
be raised for it. This was agreed to- and
1t was ordered that the president name a
special committee of five members to CO.
| operate with the traffic bureau OF the as
sociation in raising the fund and directing
| the fight.
| This action was taken after the traffic
bureau committee, through it's chairman,
| ii. NJ Thompson. had presented a report
in which it was declared that the discon-
| tinuance of the freight delivery and col
| lection service would mean an increase of
| approximately $35O,O00 a year in the ex-
penses OF the merchants of Baltimore on
| account of freight service
Withdrawal Results in Advance.
The report declares that the withdrawal
OF the service results in an advance in
rates OF from IA to 10 per cent: that it
| will unduly congest all the Baltimore
terminals and that it is unreasonable In
| that it will give to the merchants a
| poorer service for the same rate, and
| because, while the service has been
Withdrawn and the service Is less, there
| has not been offered reduction in rates
70 the extent OF the amount paid to
| the transfer companies for collecting
and delivering freight in Baltimore"
| The committee held that the proper
Tomato increase in cost to "infrequent
Shippers because of the discontinuance
OF the service would be especially heavy.
due to the fact that the extent of the. r
business will not allow the making of a
contract with any transfer company on
basis as low as cents per 100 pounds,
| Wnlch IS understood to be the rate at
which the transfer companies are paid by
the railroad companies. The net result
VIII be, the committee stated, that the
lnfrequent shippers in a great number
of these cases will have to pay from 25
to 80 cents a package for carriage to and
from the freight stations.
PRESIDENT Baker stated that he would
appoint the special committee of five
| members TO work with the traffic bureau
In prosecuting the case soon. 1t is esti-
mated that fund Of approximately $1,000
must be raised to finance the fight of
Baltimore against the discontinuance of
the service.