Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-20
HIGHER GAS BILLS
seen IN COAL RATE
ID. C. Business interests Plan
HI Protest on Proposal to
a Raise Tonnage.

permitted TO put their SS.l3 per ton
rate advance into eject August 10, the
Interstate Commerce Commission will
be told In petition to be fled by
Washington business interests tomor-
row.
This petition, drawn up yesterday
afternoon at meeting Of protest held
at tbs Racquet Club, is aimed at the
Chesapeake & Ohio, the Norfolk &
western and the virslnian Railroads,
which propose to charge sSlS per ton
on coal coming into Washington over
their lines after August 10, The wash
tngtonians ask suspension of the ss.lS
rate hy the commission and establish
r,ent Of q uniform SAIL rate Tor all
carriers. treating Washington as one
terminal,
Coal Producers Protest.
Ann,ner Southern coal-producing
area fled formal protest today Wlth
fine Interstate Commerce Commission
nrainS; the rate increase on the coal
II mines and sends to washington ana
adjacent territory E, L. Greever, at
;nraev for the Pocshontas Operators
Association. the Tug River Coal Opera
Tors Association and the Operators
Association of the Williamson Field. III
f3is hrief informed the commission that
tl,e old status OF parity OF rates was
correct.
such parity Of rates should be re-
stored on the basis Of sail per gross
ton instead Of Sa,s4 per gross ton. IN
view Of the fact that the commission
Zs~p4fnH 10
s2.Tl from the Cumberiand-Piedmont
sn6 NeyersdaIe districts to Washington
and the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad Co. has
voluntarily adopted the same rate from
Clearfeld to the same destinations.
with the result that the same reduction
is not only justified but required from
the districts in West Virginia and Viz
GINA above mentioned" Mr.. Greever
declared
washington and adjacent territory
should be treated as one terminal, he
slso says.
Resolution for Facts.
Charles w Darr. acting president OF
the Washington Chamber OF Commerce.
n accordance with the direction OF the
executive committee at its meeting on
Tuesday. has sent to the Interstate
We welcome any action that would
Law this whole matter open and bring
cut the facts. and II the suspension by
the Interstate Commerce Commission
of the proposed rate would have that
result. we would be in favor OF such
action"
Mr.. Darr pointed out today that the
meeting he'd yesterday afternoon at
the RACQUET Club adopted the view We
took through the executive COMMITTEES"
Consideration of Washington as one
terminal for coal shipments was advo-
Gated BY the business interests which
met yesterday The petition for the
suspension of the operation of the $3.13
per ton rate, which the Southern car
riers propose to put into effect on Au-
gust 10. was Joined in by the Washing
ton Real Estate Board, the washington
Gas Light Co. the District of Columbia
Paper Manufacturing Co. the Oper-
ativp Builders Association of the Dis
trict Of Columbia and West Bros Brick
Co
TIE petition argues for rate par
ify on coal at s2.7I per ton to all points
in Washington for all carriers.
The washington Gas Light Co.
passage in the petition declares. The
proposed increased rates on this coal
viii materially increase the cost of coal
from which said gas in manufactured.
which added cost would necessarily be
passed on 70 the consumers Of gas.
Paper Firm Petition.
The District OF Columbia Paper
Manufacturing Co. said in the petition
that II consumes from 10 10 IL thousand
tons Of coal per year from the Winding
Gulf district in West Virginia and finds
that coal satisfactory because OF It's
peculiar qualities. and does not wish
Ia be compelled to abandon the use Of
that coal by reason of the proposed in
crease in rates thereon. 1T cannot
pass on to It's customers the proposed
increase because IT is operating now
at only about 10 per cent Of normal.
while at the same time the price Of its
produce isss declined on the market
not less than 10 per cent" II says.
Briefly reviewing the history of the
case, the petition said: These tariffs.
providing for said increased rates, have
been flied ogtensibiy to comply with the
orders of the Interstate Commerce
Commission IN docket 1851 TO remove
the prejudice against Fadeley a. Co.
ard John p Agnew 81 Co. Inc. found
by the commission in said case TO exist,
but il must be borne In mind that the
record In that case shows that these
companies actually handle not more
than $4,000 gross tors Of coal from the
Southern district. as against total
from those fields sold in the WASH
ington market for the year 1925. of
az. 79i gross tons
1T IL a matter Of public interest that
aIi the sources Of supply Of coal here
tofoTe available 10 these petitioners and
10 their fellow citizens be kept open
70 them, and that the competition be-
tween the various producing districts
Northern and Southern, be preserved.
for, IN this way onIy. can they be as
cured Of reliable supply Of the kinds
Ct coal they desire at reasonable prices.
Refers 10 Tests.
''Nsnv consumers in this metropolis
tar district, some Of these petitioners
individually an others represented b.
these petitioners have made exhaustive
tests Of different Goals from different
districts offered for sale in this market.
and have found that the coal from the
Southern districts best meets their needs.
end they have therefore been using IL
exclusively and Do not desire 20 Use
sny other coal in lieu thereof, and IL is
respectfully submitted that the great
increase IN rates On this Southern coal
should not De permitted III order simply
10 remove the discrimination above men
toned. affecting 81 small a. tonnage as
II does, Efen the results will be 50 geri-
Gus 10 50 many consumers and citizens
Of the metropolitan district"