Evening star., 1914-04-09
HEARING RE0PENED
ON STORE DELIVERY
New Evidence Shows Rates
Were Increased in Baltimore
When Service Began.

On the ground that evidence contrary
to that adduced by the defendants had
been discovered. John E. Daish of this
city. attorney for the Merchants and
Manufacturers Association of Baltimore,
today fled a petition asking that the
store door delivery case be reopened for
the Introduction of this evidence. Henry
2. Bike, attorney for the Pennsylvania
railroad, one of the defendants in the pro-
ceeding declared that he had been un-
able to find the evidence in question in
the files of his company. but he offered
no objection to the reopening Of the
case for the purpose of having it intro
duced as he did not doubt its authen-
ITCHY
The action was taken by the commits
sion this morning when the store door
delivery case. so far as it relates to
Baltimore. was up for oral argument.
First pointing to the testimony in the
Robert C. Wright. freight traffic man
ager, Pennsylvania railroad, in which he
testified that not to the best of his knowl-
edge had there been any increase in
rates at the time free delivery was in
sugurated in Washington in 1888, and
then to the further testimony of Mr..
Wright that Philadelphia and Richmond,
who had been asking for the store door
delivery privilege had been STAYED off by
a trick of the trade" Mr.. Daish said:
Only Meant to Be Temporary.
That in 1919 the Pennsylvania rail-
road issued circular stating: The
plan Of free delivery was originally
adopted as a temporary expedient, and
was never intended to be permanent.
For that reason no increase in freight
rates was made at the time free de-
livery started --
That this commission in its opinion
apparently gave to the testimony above
quoted and the circular aforesaid full
faith and credit" He then declared that
he had In his possession a copy of a.
Letter addressed to the Philadelphia
Chamber of Commerce by George D.
Dixon, freight traffic manager. now vice
president Pennsylvania railroad, under
date of April IA, 1910, and quoted the let
ter, in part. as follows:
The delivery of first. second and
third class merchandise traffic to store
door IN Baltimore.
In Service There Thirty Years.
This condition has existed for some
thirty-odd years. it having been in effect
when we took over the old Philadelphia,
Wilmington and Baltimore railroad, and
in looking into the matter many years
ago we discovered that the rates were
adjusted by adding to the then railroad
rates to Baltimore rates per 100 pounds
for carriage, which rates were furnished
by responsible transfer companies in Bal
timore. this being necessary owing to the
water lines making delivery. This free
delivery covers restricted territory.
To change this (Which was before the
interstate commerce commission several
years ago) would bring about a reduction
only in the rates to Baltimore, and would
not in any way affect Philadelphia or any
other city: in fact, to reduce the published
rates to Baltimore to the extent of the al
lowance for carriage at this time would, in
our judgment, seriously interfere with
general business conditions at Philadel-
phia and at other cities, for the reason
that competitive business conditions have
long since adjusted themselves to this
basis of rates, which. as stated, is of long
standing"
Then Mr.. Daish quoted the following
from a letter under date of July IL,
1906. from John B. Thayer. then vice
president of the Pennsylvania rail-
road. 10 Frank L. Neall