Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1926-09-04
new. FREIGHT TARIFF
WILL BE- DISCUSSED
Del-Mar-Va Association To Look
Into Recent Ruling By Pennsyl-
vania Railroad


ment of the Del-Mar-Va Eastern
Shore Association hearing before
the Interstate Commerce Commission
will be held at Salisbury September
9th, at 10 A. NJ, for the purpose OF
taking action en- a tariff regulation
issued by the Pennsylvania Railroad
and other lines, which ordered all sta
tions on the Maryland and Delaware
Coast Line, to become prepaid sta
dons, instead of collect stations
Briefly, this means that the stations
from Denton, Nd, to Lewes, Del, on
the M. & D. c. L., which have always
been recognized as stations where
freight might be shipped collect, were
without any formal notice, ordered
under the tariff issue, to become sta
tons for which freight would not be
accepted unless prepaid.
This change in tariff is claimed by
the Traffic and Transportation de-
partment of the Del-Mar-Va Eastern
Shore Association, to be not only q
hardship to the business men in the
communities affected, but as being
detrimental to the communities them
selves because of the fact that bust
ness concerns who are called upon to
ship goods to any of. these towns
would naturally discover that such
shipments must be prepaid and would
therefore gain the impression that
the towns were not sufficiently i'm
portant to warrant maintainence Of a
freight agent.
Immediately following discovery Of
this change in tariff, action was taken
by the Traffic and Transportation de-
partment Of the Del-Mar-Va Associa-
ton. A letter to the railroad officials
asking authority for this change was
submitted and in reply the general
manager of the Maryland and Della
ware Coast Line said that it was the
first information regarding the
change. No reply was received rom
other carriers.
Formal protest was then registered
with the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and they in session on Aug.
"a reviewed the complaint filed and
gave the opinion that the effective
date of the said schedules contained
in said tariffs should be postponed
pending a hearing and decision. They
further ordered that the operation of
the said schedules contained in said
tariff be suspended, and that the use
of the regulations and practices
therein stated be deferred upon Inter-
state Traffic until the 23d day of De-
cember, 1926, unless otherwise order
ed by the Commission, and no change
shall be made in such regulations
and practices during the period of
suspension unless authorized by spe-
cial permission of the Commission.
At this session of the Commission
it was further ordered that the regu-
lations and practices thereby sought
to be altered shall not be changed by
any subsequent tariff or schedule, I'M
til this investigation and suspension
proceeding has been disposed of or
util the period of suspension and any
extesion thereof has expired, unless
authorized by special permission of
the Commission.
w. 7. Gardner, Director of the
Traffic and Transportation Depart
ment of the ,Del-Mar-Va Eastern
Shore Association, discussing the sit
uation said:
Action of this nature, especially
where railroad stations have always
been recognized as points where
freight might be shipped collect and
then which are suddenly, and without
reason, changed to points where
freight must be prepaid, is on the
surface, unreasonable. Both Denton,
Md, and Milton, Del, are commune
ties of size and for them to be dis
eliminated against in this manner
would not only be ujust to the ship
pers and business men but such ac-
ton would be decidedly unfair to the
communities themselves.
Large outside concerns doing bust
ness with points on this line would
naturally gain the impression that all
Of these communities were insignifi-
cant and not of sufficient Importance
to maintain freight agent. This
would result in arr unfair impression
being made and be naturally unjust
to business interests. 1t is the pur-
pose of this Association to give pro-
lection in just such instances as this.
large dPleUatinn nf hucinacc y,oar