Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-01-31
Discrimination Against Railroads.

DISCRIMINATION Against Railroads.
SIM, surprise ha, b,.n N Unlisted ind com.
ment oIioitld b. lbs introduction into the State
Senate. shsrc it is new pending, OF bill 10 pre-
Want carriers firm limiting their liability even
by nract. measure that if carried cut might
seriously affect the cattle trade OF The Virgi1is
NJ daId railway. if not ether business over ito
same line. Tn, Richmond Dispatch, that fret
called affection to the il lso, Of the bill, iR
order that the pubic m,y hsve better under
Standing CT the matter considers it 10 some Of
is details as follows:
ia tho frss pIsca, tie restrictions imposed
By this bill rally If :cs only the railways they
do no. apply TO water lines. aud therefore do
not ojv freights shipped By Witer lines to
some point 10 90 adjoining State aud the, BIZ
rail. 10 this view We see how serious end u
just thus Discrimination would be.
L: DOES not saen to be generally understood
hat tue shippers release" exsmp,s carriers
from liability only f,r damages Walsh may c.
Gu: tiCm 60 fauis Of the carrier. No lu,h re-
lease docs or can relieve the c:mmun carriers
from responsibility for damages which ccsrr
through their negig nc, or that Of their agents.
The "rllesSo' in fac: applies generally in
cases waer. he shiIp,r prefers tsklog The risk
rather than .te ADDITIONAL expense for packing
say 10 the css, of furniture. light machinery,
and her like articles. II it's application TO
moa5Ses aud ly:ups, thu shipper assumes the
r.s6 fer letksge. which cyuij bs guarded
against by better cltk5 and hcgshesGs than sre
gentrAIy used ty them, or indeed i: would pay
them to use. As 10 whiskey, tho "r,leeso" CD
ables the shipper 10 got |, W rates 10 c,nsidel-
alton OF the limitation Of v.Iu,, while if scch
Limitation We're forbid n the carriers would be
ioicsd TO proleo. themselves seaius, leakage aod
os6er damage on higt- 2lio,d lou rs, for tie
reason hat they cannot know the value cf The
contents of packages. except so lar as lhe value
Is fixed by cooric. With the shipper Il tho
matter ct manufactured tobacco ho risk to cal
rlcrS ia 50 graf that no railroad Company d.
sires to trausp>rt that article, or will transport
it it /: c,o possibly be avoided. ua!esa allowed
TO protl O! themselves againss claims FIR dsr-
ages, wh ca frequently ariss from beilg packed
10 sott order and d,terloraliDg by reason Of such
order. The same rule applies to grain SHIPPED
10 bulk. lo both Cases tho carrier has now, to
protec. himse f. only 10 prcvs that tho articles
have been trat soorted in tight cars and trsps-
tsrred. it transferred at all, uader o,vsr, L
companies sre not allowed to limit their liability.
the damages on tebsc,o, for which the carrier
is 10 now.s, spo, s.ble. generally amount to
more than the whole revetus derived from the
transportation OF The tr.icla. The same would
DO the c,ss With grain. which if loaded damn,
il Injured By heairg. Fertile .rs furnish
Another cXsmpo 10 this dirtc len.
The transportation CT live STICK YoulI be
most seriously afece1 by the proposed law.
Without tha release shippers could make the
railway companies responsible for e1!rs.valua-
bic animals, tbs ordinary rale on which woulu
not il sIfy the carriers IN assuming such enor.
NOUS li,k. In tbs cslri3ge Of Ordinary Iva
stock the shipper i,slowsd to sand With it. free
o! charge, attendants TO lIsure feeding water
ing, and general cara during transit. If no re-
leise were permitted the carriers could not sf
iord 70 grant this privilege. nor could .hsy .a.
sumo The risk of transporting even ccm non live
stock at prevailing rates offreight.
Therroposed restrictions being merely lccAl,
or within the State. are not applicable 10 inter.
State con mAcs. and would have the efftc. of de-.
barring the cattle raiseIs in Southwest Virginia
from getting their csttle to market on as Rood
terms as the shippers bfy ond the ho:dsr In Ten.
nessee. from which terrIsorv large shipments are
made. 1t will alao probably break up s,pe
busInsss now done 10 cs,tie in Fauquier, Lou
doup, arc other counties in the Piedmont region
traVersed By the Virginia Midland railway,
subsequent shipment! 10 Baltimore and other
markete. These cstt,e.fattsners draw their
s!ock-cs.Ee largely from Southwest Virgins.
lnMln1ch as the stock raiserS aud stock. droyers
have 70 &C m pete in Baltimore and other N srke,s
on the Ssaposrd with the er3at West, the PFC
posed law would bsar with peculiar hardship on
them.
Looking ct the matter in all offs aspects, we
feel persuaded that this till would hardly have
made its wsy through the Senate had iss mem.
6ers been properly advised of its operation upon
Inc interests Of thsir constituents. We know in.
deed of hardly any enterprise in the State that
will not be mes. seriously tim.ged, if no. de.
stioyed, ty tho operation of this extraordinary