Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-03-05
The Railway.

FREIGHT AnENTa' CONVENTION - among the
articles which we're, from peculiar causes, unsVOId
ably left over from the Leader Of Saturday morn.
ing, was the report of the Convention held in this
city on Friday. That report we OOndsnIs for to-
day.
The Railroad Agents present we're the follow
ing H. E. Sargent, Mich. Cen. R. R.; L. TiltOn,
Great Western, I'm y ThOs. Bell, Great Western,
(Cauadn); J. J. Houston, Pittsburgh, Fl Wayne
ChicagOj J. Nottingham, Mich. Southern; W.
Martin, Chicago, Burlington q Quincyj W. H,
Moore, Chicago, Alton 4 St. Louis; Warren Col
turn, Toledo, Wabash a Western; +. s. Spencer,
Beofontains q Indiana, and Indianapolis, Pitts
burgh & Clevslandj A. Hills, Cleveland, Co
lumbus & Cincinnati; Cleveland, Painssville 4
Ashtabula, and Buffalo & State LInsi Jno. HOl-
lister, Cleveland, Columbus Cincinnati; L. D.
Rucker, Cleveland Toledo; II. Nottingham,
Cleveland, Painesvills 4 Ashtabula:
Mr.. Colburn presented the following RssOlu-
tiOns, all of which we're adopted:
WHEREAS, The variety 10 the sizes Of the stock
cars, Ia use on the Western Roads, renders It i'm
possible to fix and maintain uniform rate by the
car load and the difficulty Of accurately dSterminN
ing the weight Of CATTLE at all shipping points, and
at tho different points of tFanshipment prevent the
adoption Of the system Of contracting stock by the
hundred pounds.
Resoiued, That the square foot, surface measure
Of the floor Of the car, is hereby sgreed upon and
adopted as tho standard by which rates for the
transportation of live stock shall hereafter be made
and that unifoTm prices from competing points to
the several Eastern markets shall from time to
time be established on this basis. The number Of
superficial feet actually OccupledIby the stock at
the time Of shipment, shall be measured, and the
bill of lading given accordingly, the company
shipping not, however, guaranteeing the same
amount Of space over all the Roads composing the
lina-provided that the stock is comfortably ac
cOmmOdstsd without necessary croWding.
ResOlUed, That the rates from Chicago, Joliet,
and MattsoD, to Buffalo, Suspension Bridge and
Pittsburgh and to New York, Albany and Boston,
shall be'unifOrm, as agreed upon in conventions Of
ali interested, to be called whenever g change of
rates is deemed eXpsdisnt.
Rates from all other competing points to the sew
eTal markets shall also DO 0greed upon at the same
time between those parties Immediately interested
in the competition, but no rates shall be less in
proportion than the agreed rates from the princi-
pal points above mentioned.
The roads having tho shortest line shall be en-
titled to fix the rates. subject to the limitations as
above
RssOlUed, That fixed difference by the foot bs'
tween the all rail and lake and rail rates should be
agreed upon by all the lines interested between
the seaboard and the principal Western points,
and should be maintained by proper division Of
rates.
And the Roads Immediately competing with the
Lake may make local rates between Detroit and
Toledo, and Buffalo and Dunkirk, exceeding the
Lake rate BY the agreed difference, butnO less.
ReSOLDed, That in our opinion the system Of pro
rating the through price should be adopted In the
division OF live stock raes in the transportation
Of other classes of freight, for the following rea
sons
lst. Because a lower rate per mile is required to
move cattle from the West 10 the Eastern markets
than can be obtained from the termini of the four
Eastern lines, and this reduction should be borne
equally by all ntereStedin the transportation, and
not entirely by the Western lines, who are subject
ed to the labor and expenses incident to the col
lecdpg and shipping Of the stock.
I'd. Because in no other way can q proper diff
ference be maintained between the all rail and lake
and rail rates, the Roads Immediately competing
with the Lake being unable to sustain themselves
without assistance from their connections and the
advantages of the low rates of transportation over
the Lake being such, that the roads leading to
and from it can readily obtain better rates in
| proportion than the all rail lines.
Sd. The system Of prosratng is the only offect-
ual check to the reduction Of rates by agents of
competing roads; as the interests Of roads com
mon to two or more competing lines is to prevent
the reduction Of through rates by such lines.
! RssOiUsd, That committee be appointed by the
Chair to bring this subject to the tt enton of the
Eastern lines, and if faVorably considered to call
a meeting at early date for ihs purpose of per-
fscting the necessary arrangements for carrying
out the system.
ResplUsd, That in order to make the pro-rats
system ef5ctual check to the cutting Of estab-
| lished rates, all lines parties 10 this agreement
! excepting those Immediately competing with the
Lakes) shall charge a local rate at least ten per
cent higher than their proportion Of the through
rail rate, and whenever the through rate shall be
reduced by the agent of any road, the other roads
forming the line shall be entitled to, and shall re-
quire, their full local rates, and shall collect from
the delinquent road the difference between such
local rates and the through rateat which the stock
was contracted.
The Chair appointed the following Committee
to meet the four Eastern lines for conference Oh
the foregoing matters, with power to call meet
ing and report, to Wit:-Amasa Stone, Jr., cleve-
land, Painssvils & AshtabulA; Warren COlburn
Toledo, Wabash & Western !. ]. Houston, Pitts
burgh, FIT. Wayne & Chicago; H. E. Sargent
Michigan Central.
The following schedule of Prices per square foo
of floor surface was adopted, to take effect on an(
after Monday, March 18th, between the diffsren
points named aad Buffalo, Suspension Bridge anC