Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-07

SponSlble companies by requirin
/ and ethical standards to operat
ione of the few larger cities that
have no regulation of this type
] Movers are not required to get
a license even.
The Better Business Bureau
has a very impressive file of
fragrant mistreatment of Gus
toners who thought they were
dealing with responsible firms,
but were not. In many cases
they thought they were dealing
with one firm, but found out
later they were dealing with
another.
In many cases they thought
their goods were insured and
were assured that they were.
Too late they found there was
no insurance. One company
told a customer to go on and sue.
The number of cases is not
large, indicating that not many
firm are offenders. But the
utter lack of responsibility of
these few firms and the fact
that there is little if any present
remedy against them indicates
the need for regulation, bureau
officials say. There were IL such
cases in September and four so
far this month.
Victim Loses Typewriter
And Decides Not to Sue
The missing 1929 typewriter
is a good example. 1t was in a
supposedly insured shipment
from Massachusetts, and trans
shipped to a Washington mover
somewhere along the line.
The Washington mover ad-
mitted the typewriter was picked
up by his truck and that it was
now missing. He offered to pay
81 damages and when this was
refused by the indignant GUS
toners advised the victim his
only recourse would be to sue.
The victim decided suit would
be a waste of time after lawyers
fees. He gave up.
Then there was the furniture
shipments from Washington to-
Louisville and a damage claim
for around $1,000. The man
hired a Washington firm to do
the moving, but found later the
Washington firm had another
company do the work.
The first firm disclaimed all
responsibility and said the other
firm was liable. The second firm
said it would not pay damages
because there was no insurance.
The victim had told the first firm
to have the goods insured and
had paid for coverage.
Urges District Regulation
As First Logical Move.
Arthur Clarendon Smith, jr.,
president Of Smiths Storage 81
Transfer Co.. and chairman of
the District Movers Division of
the District Trucking Associa-
ton, said last night his group
is anxious to have regulations
fixing responsibility and ethicalI
standards, but that the compli-
Gated system Of different juris-
dictions in this area had i'm
peded progress in this direction.
He said system of District
regulations should be the first
step as it would show the way
for the suburban sections.
Certainly a system of licensing
that would force the mover toI
meet certain specifications would
be an important step in that di-
rection," he said. Actually we
already nave a system OF lcen-
sing and I cannot see why the
moving and storage BUSINESS can
not be placed under it."
THE responsible movers are
injured greatly by the unethical
companies because they can offer
cut rates and by failing to give
proper service or meet losses give
the entire industry black eye, u
said Mr.. Smith.
Local business around here
has become so cut-throat on
rates that the legitimate mover
has little left in the way of a |
profit" he continued. I'm New
York, a van and three men are
paid $40 and hour, while the
going rate here is $12 an hour"