The Washington herald., 1914-03-27
DECLARE RATES
HURT MERCHANTS
Business Men, at |. c. c.
Hearing, Demand Freight
Charge Reductions.
RAILROADS ALSO HEARD
Complainants Given Twenty and Com.
panies Thirty Days in Which to
File Briefs.

L
merce Commission, late yesterday after
noon adjourned the hearing on the petit
ton brought by =. ashington shippers to
compel railroad s-eight reductions to
compensate for the discontinuance OF
store-door delivery.
The eomplainants were given twenty
| days. and the railroads thirty days. In
which to submit briefs.
| Testimony at the hearing by Washing
| ton business men was unanimously to the
| effect that the withdrawal Of store-doOr
| delivery was a severe blow to the busi-
ness of the National Capital. Many in
dividual cases were told Of in which 1t
was said TO have meant enormous loss in
| the volume of business done out Of. and
into. Washington. The consensus Of the
testimony was that the in-and-out rates
for this city are discriminatory.
John L. Newbold. president of the Mer-
| chants Transfer and Storage company.
yesterday testified to the amount Of de-
livery work his firm had done at the
expense OF merchants since the with
draWal OF the store-door delivery.
Cost of Delivery Heavy.
Harry King. of Kings Palace said the
cost OF delivery was extremely heavy and
that II W made necessary in most cases
because merchants could not wait for the
paid . cents a case for hauling
Examiner Pugh announced before sd-
journment that opposing counsel will be
given an opportunity to submit oral ar
guments some time after the briefs
have been filed.
The complainants in the freight rate
case which grew out Of the withdrawal
Of the store-door delivery practice in
this city. before completing their case
Of rat haN hay
desire to see put in effect in Washington.
While the greater part Of yesterdays
session was taken up with the discussion
and explanation Of n mass Of statistics
| II was enlvened somewhat by a tilt be
tween Examiner PuEh and Attorney
Galloway for the Southern Railway. The
latter insinuated the Navy Department
was sending A representative to say
rates must he reduced Examiner Pugh.
prohibiting the attorney from following
| his line OF questioning in an endeavor to
determine the authority for the appear
ance OF f. r. TrOXel. freight clerk of
the Navy Department, pointed to the
perfect right of the government to
introduce evidence in a case where ii
was affected.
Rates Arc Suggested.
VI. VI. Caskie. assistant manager OF the
Freight Audit and Adjustment Com
pany. introduced the following table OF
rates, which he asserted TO he reason
able. from Boston. New York and Phila-
delphia To Washington.
cl5,. Is sls1. a cis~ eia,. IN ci.2. a9 ei.,. ss
6 S;;iss:i:;.,:: S;;s:s: ss5s;;;: : + : ! !:
The difficulty of getting business
houses and factories to locate in WASH
ington was explained by Thomas Grant.
secretary Of the Chamber Of Commerce.
He said the chief reason for this condi-
tion is to be found in the high freight
rates into and out Of Washington.
Charles J. Columbus. secretary OF the
Retail Merchants Association OF this
city. testified that the Concensus Of that
ORGANIZATIONS members was that the
rates in and out of Washington are dis
crminatory.
Elvin r. Troxel said any change in
rates would affect materially the Navy |
department. lie testified that the annual |
freight bill Of the department was about |
$4,000. IN per cent of which. he said |
was affected by the store-doOr delivery. |
W. W. Bowie. freight agent for the |
Pennsylvania lines. discussed the his
tory Of the establishment of the store |
door delivery. |
Robert g Wright. freight traffic man.
aEer for the Pennsylvania road, declared |
that rail lines had an advantage over |
boat lines because of better distributing |
facilities He stated that free delivery |
at store doors would be the last means |
the roads would resort to in order to |
meet water competition.
Statement Is Issued.
The following statement was given out
by the Chamber Of Commerce and Re-
tail Merchants Association last night:
In the course of the hearing Attorney
Galloway read a remarkable statement in
which he practically admitted the conten-
tion made by the counsel for the cham
ber and Retail Merchants Association.
Chaplin Brown and II. carlton Haines.
OF the chamber. and Maurice d. Rosen-
berg. of the Retail Merchants Associa-
tion. that the rates were excessive.
He further stated that his road would
readjust the rates along the lines asked
by the complaintants.
Much qualification is being expressed
over this admission and it is hoped that
other roads will follow the course of the
Southern Railway.
Such a readjustment would mean
thousands of dollars to the business world
Of Washington
nYTATEHhTAN NTcCT0N rrnrn