Evening star., 1922-04-07
WOULD
CUT SWITCH CHARGE
Zihlman Files Report on Bill
Intended to Reduce Coal :
Price in Washington. =

Representative Fred N. Zihlman of
Maryland today filed a favorable re-
port from the House District commit
tee on the bill which nominally seeks
to provide additional terminal >facili-
ties in the District, but the real pur-
pose Of which is to reduce the price of
coal and other necessary commodities
through forcing a reduction of the
alleged excessive switching charges
between the Potomac yards and the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad unloading
sheds in the northeast section.
In his report Representative Zirl-
man says the purpose of the bill is to
provide that any railroad company
having tracks in the District of Co
lumbia shall have the right to have
freight delivered from one locality in
the local switching system to another
upon the payment of reasonable
switching charge. and If the parties
are unable to agree upon such
charges, then the same shall be pre-
scribed by the Interstate Commerce
Commission. He submits charges sug-
gested by the commission which. he
says. have been adopted in drafting
the present measure. r..
These run from 12h cents per hun
dred weight on all full cargo lots. to
25 cents per hundred weight. on boots,
clothing and glasswafe.
Recalls 1908 Lesisiation.
In his report Representative Zihl-
man recalls that in 1903 Congress
passed an act providing for the con-
struction of union station and
other terminal facilities, and that a
| section of this act permitted the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad to con-
struct and maintain freight track,
| running south of Florida avenue
| within the city Of Washington, and
authorized the delivery of freight
cars in certain squares. The. Balti-
| more and Ohio railroad bought one
of these squares in its entirety and
erected coal dumps, which it has
! leased to a number of coal dealers
| from whom the small dealer and in
dividual buyer must purchase or pay
a rental for the use of one of the
| trestles in the city, so that there are
no trestle dump facilities for the de-
! livery Of carload lots of coal to con-
| sumers and small dealers desiring to
| The report says that the grand
| jurors for the District of Columbia
last year made report to the Su-
preme Court in reference to this mat
| ter, which concluded: 1--WE believe
| that such conduct of the railroad
business is exceedingly detrimental
| to the consuming public, in that it OF
| necessity increases the price of coal
to consumers and small dealers"
The report shows that the freight
! rate on coal is $3.50 ton and that a
! car of fifty tons would have to pay
i from sone railroad to another. Coal
coming into Washington over the
| Pennsylvahia and other systems mus
/ pay these excessive charges if con.
; signees desire B. & o. delivery. Or
the other hand. the Pennsylvania
! the Washington navy yard, accept.
, freight from the B. & Q, for a reason.
able switching charge, which switch.
| ing charge is absorbed by the B. e. o
Railroad Company.
Charges In Other Cities.
Representative Zihlman- report.
that the committee made am investi
| CATION of switching charges in othel
| cities in the vicinity of Washington
and finds that the usual switching
| within the city limits is 81, while il
| Washington, on car of fifty tons O.
| coal, the rate is $125.
/ A similar bill was introduced dur
ing the last Congress- by fornhel
Speaker Clark of Missouri, which wa
the last bill introduced in the HOUSE
J At that time, the chairman of til,
House District committee was ad
vised by the District Commissioner,
that the matter came within tn,
Jurisdiction of the Interstate Com
nerce Commission. but the I. c. C.. ad
vised that 1t was matter upon whicl
Congress might with entire prophet!
tle-islate.