Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-07-11
VIRGINIA COMMERCE.
MENACED BY PROPOSED
FREIGHT RATE ADVANCE

'Ioh'!hucd from F!rT Ihge)
viii supr"1c the transfer companies
10 incrca-" ,hcir charges for deliv-
cry 10 all homes wc,, OF I.aurc!
street The Increase In tho charge
more than wipes out the prom, on
tho gouds. Tho result nt this I.
that retail merchants mus; either
establish branch houses wcs, OF
I.anr"l street, or move their main
stores there or quit business ucst ~
Laurel street.
or "" may suppos" some economic
condition which would require every
BROAD Street m"rchan, 20 raise MS
prices I" q p"in, prohihl,iv~ to tho
purchaser. The private citizen docs
not desire 10 sever his lonE-ti,ne
habit OF dealing on Broad Street. bu,
ne Is Obliged TO do so because ~
tho new situation. Broad Stree,
would soon be deserted as retail
shopping center.
Sever Rusiness Relations.
Those Illustrations arc intended to
show In an imperfect way. what Will
happen To tho commerce ~ Virginia
II the proposals OF tho carriers are
adopted by the Interstate Commerce
Commission. Business relationships
that have existed for half a century
VIII be severed That Intangible. and
yet actual. value known rs good will
must be written OF TO pront and loss
overnight
II is not the jobber alone who will
suTer from such radical readjust-
mont OF the transportation situa-
ton The retailer 10 affected the
banks would seriously feel tho loss:
every individual in the Virginia com
munities has an interest in tho out
come.
Not alone an increase In rate. Is
in Issue. for the country has been
subjected to large general inereaecs
and business has survived the shock
In the cost OF transportation. IL is
very often the relationship that
counts For instance. the present
rate between Richmond and Atlanta
is lower than the rate between Gin
cinnati and Atlanta. II liz proposed
to increase the rate between Rich
mond and Atlanta and decrease the
rate between Cincinnati and Atlanta.
so that the latter will he lower than
the Richmond rate Therefore. on
the same commodity, an Atlanta CON
siGnee. "ho had his choice. would he
likely 10 buy in Cincinnati or Louis
NiIle, whereas now. other things
being equal. and when the difference
IN freight rate is the controlling &C
! tor. he bIiVs In Richmond
Heavy Freight Rate Increase.
! Again, it is proposed to make the
rates throughout tho Southeast on
dry-land basis. almost eliminating
lower rates which result from water
| competition. If this is done, II means
heavy increases in freight rates to
and from tho ports, and necessarily
there must he corresponding increases
to and from interior points which
have heretofore been affected by com
pctitive conditions along the coast
and on the rivers. Nirginia's situa-
| ton lis such that, in the nature or
things. her cities, both Goa stall and in
land. must. in the event the car
riers' proposals are adopted suffer
from this part OF the projected re-
! adjustment.
| 1t VIII be the purpose Of these
articles to show in what ways tho
commerce OF Virginia Is threatened
and the attempt will he made to
state II In nontcchnical language
which may be understood by those
! not familiar with the terms com.
monty used in discussing traffic prob.
lens.