Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-20
FIGHTS
FOR Low FREIGHT RATE
Delaware Cooperating in Pro-
test Against Boston's Effort
to Wipe Out Differential.

Philadelphia, Nov. 20.--Assufance
was received yesterday by the Phila-
delphia Port Differential Committee.
composed OF representatives OF the
various business and trade bodies n
this city. that Mayor Moore, Director
Sproule OF the Department OF Wharves,
Docks and Ferries, representatives OF
Governor Sproul, the mayors of Cam
den, Chester and Wilmington, and of
Governor Denney. of Delaware. will go
on the stand Wednesday, at the hear
ing Of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission In City Hall to testify for the
port of Philadelphia.
The occasion will be the first hear
ing in this city Of the case opened be-
fore the Interstate Commerce Commits
sionHy Boston in an effort to wipe out
the @ferential, which Philadelphia
now Enjoys in railroad rates over the
New England city, and to place rates
on import and export freight from
Philadelphia on parity with the Bos-
ton rate.
Following the move of the Philadel-
phia Port Differential Committee in
retaining William A. Glasgow, Jr., and
Allan A. Olmstead, to fight for Phiia-
delphia's rights. practically every busi-
ness and industrial leader here. the
railroads, steamship lines, civic inter-
ests, the State, and all of the surround
ing territory have joined in the fight.
Unless this effort of Boston's COM
mercial interest is defeated before the
Interstate Commerce Commission" c..
Herbert Bell, chairman of the joint
committee, said yesterday, "Philadel-
phia's port, its business men, its in
dustries will suffer irreparable harm.
"A tremendous amount of freight
would be diverted. thus causing an i'm
mense loss in revenue and tonnage"
he continued. "Such traffic as we still
| would be able to hold would cost ship
pers higher charges. Reduction of the
number OF vessels coming into the port
| would reduce the tens of thousands OF
| dollars spent weekly in this city by
ships coming into our port. Our pier
program and our port future would be
endangered. Fortunately. every inter-
est is aroused and will be on hand, SO
that there is no doubt of a united front
being presented against Boston's ef-
fort"
! The following interests recently en-
| tered the contest: Governor Sproul. for
Pennsylvania: Mayor Moore, for Phil
adelphia; Governor William ID. Den
ney, for Delaware; Mayor Leroy Har-
vey, for Wilmington; Mayor Charles
| II. Ellis, for Camden; Mayor William
T. Ramsey, for Chester; T. w. Train
er, for Chester Chamber OF Commerce
William A. Searlo, for Camden Cham
ber of Commerce: William T. Budd
for Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
and Charles II. Cant, for the Board OF
Harbor Commissioners of Wilmington
Boston's effort is TO have its raj
rates for import and export traffic
placed on an equal basis with Phila
delphia and Baltimore. At present Bos
tons rate is on a par with New Iorl
and higher than Philadelphia and Bal
timore. On import traffic Philadelphia
owing TO its nearness TO the West, Il
allowed a cent advantage over New
York and Boston on first two classes
of freight and cents on last fou
classes. On export traffic on all CLASSES
TO Philadelphia differential OF cent
exists under Boston and New York.