Evening journal., 1914-05-14
drinks SCARCER
AND Prices HIGHER
Fate of the Bib lOus on the
Eastern Shore Still
in Doubt
SUGGEST INCREASE
IN EXPRESS RATE


BALTIMORE, Nd. May 1.-THE
Public Service Commission heard ar
guments for and against the 100 per
cent. increase OF rates on packages"
OF liquor consigned to wharves and
other points served by The Tolchester
Steamboat Company on the Eastern
Shore. The Commission granted the
increase on the application Of the
Tolchester Company early i'm May,
and IL The Commission stands by the
order, other transportation COM
panies, whose steamboats, ply be-
tween Baltimore and wharyes on the
Eastern Shore streams as well as
railroad companies, whose lines fra-
verse Eastern Shore, will apply for
the same increases.
The hearing was on the protest of
liquor dealers that the increase was
unreasonable aud unjustinable. James
w. Chapman appeared as counsel for
the steamboat companies. Joseph
n. Ulman represented the liquor
dealers. The general effect of the
law, which limits the shipment OF one
gallon of whiskey and of one dozen
bottles Of beer per month to each
resident i'm each of the nine counties
of the Eastern Shore, is TO make
drinks scarcer. The effect of the in
crease IN express rates is to make
the price of drinks higher,
Based on Risks.
The application for the increase IN
express rates was based on the risks
of transportation in violating the
law, and of the fines imposed, from
$50 to 500 for the first offense, and
500 TO $500 for the second offensc.
together with the risk OF a sentence
to the House of Correction.
At the hearing, Captain w. c. Ella
son, president Of the TOlchester
Steamboat Company, said he was
afraid of the new law, and that many
of his wharf agents We're afraid of
t. The agent at Spedden's wharf,
Dorchester county, he said, had re-
fused to handle a jug of whiskey and
had determined to sent It back. lust
before the boat left, however the
consignee drove up to the wharf and
managed to rescue his parcel before
| it started back to Baltimore.
On May I, the day the law became
effective, he said, package of liquor
was sent to loves wharf, Talbot
county, and the cOnsignee sent his
hired man for it. The agent refused
to deliver the liquor except 10 the
consignee in person. That was
Saturday, and, said Captain Eliason.
the consignee almost burnt up the
telephone" inquiring about his liquor.
The next day, he said, was Sunday,
and he needed his whiskey.
The Captain also admitted that he
had posted a sign at the colchester
wharf advising Kent county residents
not to order liquor shipped by the
company. The sign concluded with
the warning that the new law might
| get you and US in trouble."
"And / am going to have lot
more Of them painted and stuck up
! at all our wharves,' said the Cap
tain you see they nave been tvy-
ing to catch the liquor dealers for a
! long time and now they have got us
hooked up with the liquor people and
think they will catch us both together
/ and make it hot for us"
For Sacramental Purposes.
Chairman Laird of the Public Ser
vice Commission, read the new law
carefully. After perusing that clause
which exempts the use of liquors for
sacramental purposes, he humorously
suggested that church deacons and
vestrymen could set forth supplies
and perhaps, also humorously, these
might follow a large increase IN
! church membership and in the num-
ber of church officers, not because
of religious motives, but to evade the
limited shipping law
Mr. Ulman declared that the con.
sumers on the Shore were the real
complainants, as they would have tC
nay the increased freight charges
He argued that the additional cleri
cal labor entailed on clerks ant
agents OF tho company did not iustif,
the larger charge, certainly not on
of 100 per cent, as most of II coul'
be done by the use Of a few sheet
: of carbon paper in making the al
ditiOnal records required.
Mr. Chapman showed in detail th
, increased clerical work required, an
asserted that agents of the compan
on the Shore We're alarmed over th
criminal responsibility entailed !;
the new law. Il was when he men
J toned those exempted from the gal
= lon-a-month provisions-members
church boards, together with DRUG
= gists and physicians--that Mr.. Lair
suggested the possible effect o
I church membership. The charms