The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-24
CHAMBER Of COMMERCE
IS AGAIN VICTORIOUS
Long Litigation Over switching
Charge" Case Has Reached sue
te>SfuI Ternina ton
SAVES MONEY FOR SHIPPERS
Favorable Decision Is Handed Down
by Interstate Commerce Commits
siOn--Iraffir Manager Goodman
Elatei Over Outcome

Another victory has been won by
the Richmond Chamber of Commerce
IN it's efforts to obtain equitable
charges for Richmond shippers. Traf-
hc Manager r. s Goodman announced
Yesterday that favorable decision
has been secured from the interstate,
commerce commission in the switch
ing charge" case which has long been
contested As a result this sue
cessfni termiua ton of ;he litigation,
which was conducted largely under
the direction OF TraiYr Manager Good
man and the inland trades committee
of tho chamber OF. Commerce, VIII
save Richmond shippers large sums
of money annually.
MIR. Goodman has issued the fol-
lowing statement with reference to the
matter.
The Interstate Commerce Commas
sion on April %. rendered n decision
in favor OF The Richmond Chamber
Of Commerce In the switching case,
which has been before the body since
January 6, 1919. was once before de-
cided In favor of the Chamber and
underwent a rehcariDg properly 10 dis
pose Of certain provisions Of the Com
missions former order. which that
body now states did not fully reflect
It's findings The following is the or
der of the commission to become ef~
feetiNA on August /. lS17.
This caso coming on for further
hearing upon petition for rehearine
by certain of the defendants therein,
the Sea bea I'd Air Line Railway At
Iantfc Coast Line Railroad and
southern Railway and having been
further heard and submitted, and the
conmission having. on the date here
Of made and filed A report upon the
rehearing containing it's findings of
fact and conclusions thereon. which
sata ranorf together with tine orig
tnal report made aad fled as of June
{ to14 are hereby referred TO and
wade a mar. hereof.
Order is Sct aside
1T il ordered That the order pre-
v3Duelv entered IN this proceeding on
Jnoe 4 1914 he. and il is hereby,
cancelled and get aside as of this date,
~, 80 further ordered. That defen-
aants Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Con,nany Seaboard Air Line Railway,
and Southern Railway company be,
and -they are hereby notified and re
a,tirod "a cease and desist on or be
~ abstain. from absorbing switching
cbarees an certain interstate carload
freight at Richmond. Va, while re-
fnsjnp 20 absorb such charges on like
carload shtpments for a like and CON
ttur~5raneous service under substan-
tlalIv similar circumstances and con-
I4tionS such practices having been
found in said supplemental report to
be- uniustly discriminatory and un-
laufo1 within section 9 Of the act 10
REGULATE commerce.
n, IL further ordered. That said de-
fendants he. and they are hereby no
tiaed and ren1ired to establish. on or
before August l. 1917. upon notice
to this commission and to the general
DuhIic by not less than thirty days
filing and nostinc in tho manner pre-
Scrihed in section six OF the act to
regulate commerce. ana thereafter to
maintain and apply uniform reeula-
Mons and practices for the absorption
Of charges for the switching Of inter
state carload freight at Richmond,
Va and to collect no higher rates
or charges from shippers and receiH~
ers of such carload freight at Rich
mond Va than they contemporaries
ously collect from any other shipper
or receiver of such carload freight at
Richmond Va. for like and CON
fenporaneous service under substan-
tally similar circumstances and copdi
lions.
and if is further ordered That this
order shall continue in force for pc
riod of not less than two years from
date when II shall take effect.
AI~sorbs Switching Charge
Tho practical effect of the above
order is that II any one of the three
Southern lines ahsorbs the switching
charge of the other to o. from points
common to both.~it cannot justifably
refnse to absorb the switching charge
of the Chesapeake a. Ohio railway. or
the r. r. & p r. r., on traffic 70
or from the points in question, This
they have been refusing to DO since
Novep,her 1909 The practical ef-
"I-nder the present absorption rules.
the Atlantic Coast Line the Seaboard
A., Ijne or the Southern Railway
would absorb the others switching.
n,a,,,ro on shinment originating
$50. .,o -,i,s Of any one of those
49, -, dasttnea nav IN Atlanta. or
va ~ f,a,, At,ant, destined te