, 1874-02-08


| Supreme Court the loss is Ills.
Reportor-And it would bo total loss, Us b
| had no insurance?
I Mr. Nrieht-Yca. This decision was rendered
[ when people were uncharltabto eapnsh tt
think that tho rai1road companies had moro
ln1uenco with the Supreme Corrs than the peo
pie had. Perhaps, il tho Supreme Court Tert
t no. altogether bound up in prccedents, non'
I! new light might BIO Lei III nos. do not know
| whether the lghstho farmers aFo creating VII
penetrate the yeu Of precedent, Us tits an open
| question yet.
Mr.. Culrer-!As goon Us grain is sent to tht
elevators it is inspected and unloaded, bit the
[ railroad nooplo do not make out: their freight
| bills uutil after they have had returns OF the
weights from the clcvatora, aud the elevators dc
| not make tho returns until the day following
| the arrival of the grain. Wo may haye to-day
| twenty cars 20 into al elevator, and whea We
call ut tle ralrosd Office and aslz If there in any
| prain conbigno1 to uY they will say they have
none for tie reason that thoy hare not received
the returns Of the weights from the elevator.
CHOICE or ELEVATORS.
| Err Narren-Iaye you any choice OF eIeya-
tora when yon arc notified that the grain has ar
at the elevator WHICH the railroad company
dcsignates?
Mr. Culyer-The railroad companies and the
! warchousc7ncn elect where sho grain shall be
unoaded and not the receiver.
Mr.; Warren-And yet there is no responsibility
r
they have deposited in the elevator?
Mr.. Nright-None whatever.
NIr. Cnlyer-We cannot tell whore our grain is
unloadcd until wa get the receipts, and we do
not get them until the day following tho arrival
Of the grain sometimes not until week sub-
sequcntly,-~tho weights Of the car viii be over
looked, aud no return made to tho rallro7d COM
pany; or, perbaps, the railroad clerk will o7or-
look it.
w. Wright-we lost twonty car loads, mostly
L s.~ .-& ,-$
We could not insure it, because re knew noth-
ing about it.
1,eporter-1t was not on the track, but had all
gono into the warehouse?
Mr. Wright-Yes. It went in in an unprece-
IDENTIFY short time aftar it wgs shipped. II
nnd beon unloaded The expedition with which
it reached here aud WAS uuloaled and receipted
for WAS remarkable We knew nothing about it,
still ne were led to believe that it would be nse-
less to press the case before the Supreme Court,
because they hnd already decided parallel cases
against Us.
nEDEEss1SG TIE WRONG.
Rcporter--Hov can that wrong be redressed?
Mr. Wright-1t cnn only be redressed By an
act OF tho Legislature.
a:AK1Sa RAILROADS RESPONSIBLE.
Alr. Wright-Making tho railroad companies
responsible for the property, until they give
notice Of the qusDtity Of gram and where 1t is
Cn01ded E0 tlat we Gun cover IT,.
The Reporrer-Tho railroad companies should
be held responsible until the consignea here has
actually received notice Of the arrival Of the
graiu and that it is ut his service when he calls
for 1t, so that he can be aware OF his RESPONSE
bility2
Mr., Culver--Duo diligence in furnishing the
notification would, perhaps, DO al that is neces-
Eary.
LEsaTH OF THE.
A[r, Warren-The next question is, How 1onE
should tho rai}road company bo held RESPONSE
deposited, for The eafe delivery Of the grain
from that house, in quantity aud quality.
Mr. Wrirht-If tile receiver hero hos no
choice as to where tho grain shall so, and it may
"a to one Of several pieces, the railroad COM
pany taking the arbitrary liberty with that prop
ing the owner q consignee. it seems to me the
company ought to be responsible for the safe
delivery Of the property.
Mr. War1oc-As long as it may remain in
store?
Mr.. Wrighr-For 4 reasonable time-allowing
the owner or conaignoe to take ar.y the grain, Il
be is not satistied with the disposition made Of
it. But then, again. man ought not to be COM
PEELED to have his property put where he is
obliged to .Smoye it; & l. is n part and pa5cel
ties for doing bueincss. II they
will not allow people to build
stcrehouses and lay tracks connecting with
these roads, responsibility should bo attached
to them for running property whore its owners
ara obliged to 40 for it, having no election
wkother it shall 60 there or to some other place.
FREE tosHEc11oNs or FREE STORAGE.
Rhporter-Ought they not to be obliged either
to make connection with any house that wants
to- it within reasonable distance Of their tracks,
or be obliged to furnish free storage for car
tain length Of time after the grain comes ID,
inst as they furnish it for other property?
51r. Wright-That is what il wanted
Mr. Culger-lcs. they ought to do SO. The
business Of transporting aud storing grain is 80
intimately connected that it should be the duty
Of the railroad companies to provide storage for
q certain length OF timo for the property-for
E*ain in bulk as well as for all in bags-or flour
IN barrels without cxtzn charge.
Reporter-And in no case to mako charge
reasonable time in which to tako it out OF their
control, il he wants to.
THE old CUSTOM.
Mr. Wright-The Northwestern Railroad Com
pany-it was the Ga1eua Il Chicago Union Road
1T TINT tirna-Aad au elevator hero to receive |
grain arriving over their Line, from which grain |
was delivered directly, and they charged, think,
cent bushel for the first five dave. For grain
remaining longer, Ill additional charge Was !
made. |
Reporter-How long ago wns that?
Mr.. Wright-1t must hava been about 1858. !
Reporter-Beforo the algamntiun
aIr. Wrlght-Yes. It Ths in 1862 when this
cotilllon commenced.
1ir. Culver-Afy impression is that the Rock !
Island Railroad built an elevator with the iuton-
ion OF running it in the same way. but it was NJ
:erwards leased to Flint i Thonpson. All this |
;rouble would DO obyiated if the railroad compa-
aics had elevators to which the Srnin could he
I'm. aud the owncrs or consigpees notified Of it's
.rTir3l.
SECURITY FOE RECEpTE.
Rcporter-How much effect do you think that |
would have upon the ability to borrow mouey
Upon the property, compared With the present |
condition Of things? mean, how much would
t increase tho feeling Of security on the part of
money LENDERS il the railroads were mnde re-
'ponBible instead Of providing warehouses.
Mr. Culver-That IS very difficult question
o answer, for many parties have 'rlnbountlcd |
confidence in the present elevator proprietors,
md will take their receipts for my amount.
Hcporter-l understand there are Eastern par
les who have objected to 1oaning money on
sarehouso receipts in Cbicago, for the reason |
hat they did not deem the security sufficient.
Nr. WTight-Thcre has not been so much
money at the command Of grai1.-owners US there
would have been if the secnrity had been deem
d ample.
Mr. Cuiver-H that first statement ia correct
must be so. I don't l1uow who it was, but it
vas eaid some one could get Il large amount Of
money to loan, provided he was satisfied that tho
ecuritv OF thcse receipts Vas ample.
Mr. WHght-1 think the fnct arose probably |