Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-13
Brief Filed Says Washington
Does Not Belong in Wir-
ginia Cities Group.
TARIFF SCHEDULE THERE
is NOT APPLICABLE HERE
Claims Defendants Adequately Have
Supported Application by Show
ing Real Water Competition.

Washington properly does not belong
in the Virginia cities group, including
Richmond, Frederick sburg and Peters
burg, and, therefore. the commodity
freight rates applicable on hauls to
those cities do not apply to Washing
ton.
Such is the contention of the brief on
behalf of the defendant railroads in the
so-called Washington commodity rate
case, filed by W. c. Coleman, attorney
for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company, and by F. ID. Mckinney and
w. c. Carpenter for the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company. the Pennsylvania
Company, the Philadelphia. Baltimore
and Washington Railroad Company,
the New York, Philadelphia and Nor
folk Railroad Company and the Long
Island Railroad Company, with the in
terstate commerce commission today.
The case is one pending for some time
before the commission, in which the
Chamber of Commerce, Retail Mer-
chants Association and about $50 in
dividual merchants are seeking to have
the commission require the railroads
participating in the business into
Washington to put into force just and
reasonable commodity rates
Under prevailing rates, goods can be
shipped from the north and east to
points south of Washington cheaper
than they can be shipped from the same
points of origin to this city, the petit
TONERS claim.
In reply, the railroads brief. MED TINS
morning, declares:
I'VE submit that the defendants have
adequately supported their application
by showing real and controlling water
competition at Richmond and the al
iaI oif hn n a
Washington; that Washington properly
does not belong in the Virginia cities
group"
Competition With All-Rail Lines.
The brief further points out that "in
mere number of commodity rates car
ried, the water lines to Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Petersburg actu-
ally and controllingly compete with the
all-rail lines"
The reasons for the insistence by the
railroads upon Washington not be-
longing to the Virginia cities group is
stated in their attorneys brief, as fol-
lows:
THE failure to group Washington
with the Virginia cities is attacked by
the compliments. Fredericksburg AMI
Petersburg. being part of the Virginia
cities group, are not only Influenced by
lHe ACTUAL water CoiipelilioI d. eHei
doors, but by their membership in the
group based upon Norfolk. the exist
ence of which has been recognized by
the commission, and the contention of
the complainints that Washington
should be added to the group is unten-
able upon it's face.
1.-The object of rate groups is to assign
cities Similarly situated as to distance,
physical and commercial conditions,
etc, to the same group. The fact that
between Washington, the southernmost
city of the northern group, and Fred
.ericksburg. the northernmost city of the
Virginia cities group, there is a dis
lance of but fifty-four miles is not i'm
portant.
Line Must Be Drawn Somewhere.
"The line must be drawn somewhere.
and we believe it has been logically
drawn here.
washington is not part of the Vir-
ginia cities group. Washington is al
lied to Baltimore. its real scompetitor,
as was testified to by the complain
dence it would seem that this case is
an attempt to work a discrimination
against Baltimore in favor of Wash
ington by forcing the Washington
rates down to the Fredericksburg
level. The commission can easily i'm
agine how long Baltimore would ac-
quiesce in such a condition, and if
Baltimore secured lower rates how
long before the edge of the blanket,
forced back still farther, indeed. as
the compliments themselves suggest
by inference, to include New York it.
self"