Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-09
BENNETT LINE MAY
GIVE RIVER SERVICE
Owners of Fleet of Small Craft
Reported After Old Do
minion Business.
[AFFECTED INTERESTS BUSY
Delegations in Baltimore to In
duce Merchants and Miners
Line to Act.
tAFFEcTED INTERESTS BUSY

f'elsht servire on the James River
may be resumed within tho mex. few
weeks. tho Bennett Line. now oper
ot!ng between Norfolk and North
Carolina ports. having under consid.
alton tho feasibility OF taking oy.
the business abandoned by the Old
Dominion Steamship Company.
Acquisition OF the Old Dominion
steamers. Berkeley and Brandon wa,
reported las, night from Norfolk. bu,
could nos be confirmed here The
FORMER Is tied UP a; tho wharf here
having been idle since'Afarch Is. when
tnc stevedore and ongshoreman's
strike started in Now York
should the Benne;t Line decide ia
!nauSu-aie service between Rich
inond and Eorfolk. the only diff.
Guilty In It's path would bc the secur
ing OF "A terminal in this city. as /;
already ha.s property in Norfolk
available and the ships necessary 10
operate. the decision. however, rests
upon the possibility os ? new service
being started between Norfolk and
New York. which would practically
assure enough business to warran;
the experiment.
Oper-tcs Small Steamers
The Bennett Line now has fee,
oe small steamers which ply betvee1
Norfolk and small North Carolina
cities. These steamers have ton.
mage OF between eighty and 100 tons
which would be sufficient to take
care ~ purely local business on tn,
ia mes River Il the ls-re.. 5oats ar,
not required
Neither George NJ wya: loca
agent for tho Old Dominion / ,.. no,
j. Scott Parrish. chairman o. IN,
Chamber Of Commerce traffic com.
1nitiec, have been informed OF Nth,
proposed service o. the Bennett Line
The latter stated that something
must be done and expressed his be.
lief that Richmond business men viii
not sit idle and see the loss o. such
a vital transportation line.
In event the scrv!ce is desired b,
Richmond business men. it is pos.
sible that the Old Dominion wha ri
can be purchased by the Ecnnet,
Line. The Old Dominion steamers
berkeley and Brandon. arc also fol
sale and could be acquired by thu
company. These steamers. or Others
OF like type. would be needed to take
care OF the heavy passenger traffic in
the warm months.
Business men of Norfolk New
port News. Smithneld and Mathew.
County. with Virginia representa-
tivcs in Congress. will ask \. b
Stebbins. president Of the Merchant
and Miners Line. to take over III,
Norfolk-New York business aban
doned by the Old Dominion. 4 dele.
cation yesterday appeared in Wash
ington and pleaded with the Inter
United States Shipping Board to Dre.
Neit the Old Dominion from can
ceiling its service. but il was de-
cidcd that it would be impossible
for any governmental agency to in.
terferc.
SuEgests VI. & NJ. Conference.
Chairman Benson. OF the Shipping
Board. suggested that Mr. Stcbbin.
might be induced to operate tn,
steamships OF his company in the
service formerly had by the Old Do.
min!on Line. and important busines.
men started for Baltimore. where
they hope to have a more satisfac.
tory conference than was had here.
The Old Dominion Line. according
TO Chairman Clark. of the Interstate
Commerce Commission. had requested
permiss ion TO discontinue this ser.
vice at once. but when this requcs,
was denied. notice was served on the
commission that the service would
be discontinued on May 10. Chair
man Clark was in doubt as TO what
the commission could do about the
Old Dominion disseminating the
lines without authority, but 1t i:
presumed it can do nothing.
Among those attending the confer
cnce were Senator'S Glass and Swan.
son. Congressman Bland Holland
Montague and Moore. Judge Chris
topher Garnett. +. y. Shanahan, presi.
dent OF the Norfolk Chamber OF
Commerce: j. Boyd Sears, of Math
ews; Colonel j. B. Holloway. B. T.
Gay. and ". NJ. Whittlc. Of Smith.
field: il. 3. Goodridge. e. L. Palcn
TT. p. Friedman and w. A. Cox, oil
the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce
Judge C. W. Coleman, j. G. Eberwine
ID. w. Lindsay and w. j. Herd, OF
the Southern Produce Exchange
r.. ". Ewcll. j. G. Lambert and G. G.
Charlton. of the Norfolk Truckers
Exchange. and W. r. Shafcr, II. r
Snyder. W. w. Wooten., G. j. VIII
hanson and u. u. Lawrence.
Tho Pennsylvania Railroad steam
er. New York, has been chartered by
fishermen and farmers OF Mathews
County to resume the route that the
old Dominion steamer Mobjack form
crly covered in triwcckly trips be-
tween Norfolk end points on the
Chesapeake Bay, 1t !waG announced
from New York yesterday.