Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-28
ROUND-UPS.
Transportation of Stock by Weight is
Not Entirely Satisfactory.
A Chicago Commission Man Shows Up Some
OF the Iniquities of the System-0ther
Cattle Matters.

dlOIts aDOuU dS well aS 10 lHe stdtes tHdG
raise cattle on land no better but which
pays more taxes. The San Antonio
Stockman thinks that when Texas gets to
raising three-year-olds in two years, she
will be regular boodler.
s. A. Hatcher, the Fort Worth cattle
dealer, yesterday received letter from q
stockman in the Panhandle, which con-
veyed the information that the condition
of live stock interests in that section and
throughout all West Texas was better
than ever before known at this season of
the year-good grass, fat cattle, and
plenty of water. "And when cattle do
well up to Christmas time in Texas, -
said Mr.. Hatcher, "yOu can rely upon it
that they will come through all right in
the spring. He says that this season
will put the cattle growing business in
Texas on its feet again.
~
The system of making transportation
rates on live stock by weight instead of
by number, as heretofore, which it was
intended to put in operation on roads run
ming into Texas, is not giving unalloyed
satisfaction on those northwestern roads
on which it is now working. Some time
ago Fort Worth cattleman spoke dispar-
agingly of the new system to GAZETTE
reporter, saying the shippers would never
be satisfied with it, that scales along the
lines from where shipments from the
range are made could not
be kept in proper repair for correct
weighing, and that the shippers would
always have cause of complaint against
the railroads for shrinkage, etc. by
reason of delays or bad tracks. This ut
terance was given when the matter of
weighing shipments in this part of the
country was merely being considered by
the railroad people. Now comes the
Chicago Times with an expose of the
iniquities of the new tangled scheme.
Following is talk between Major
keenan, Chicago commission man and
q Times reporter.
Said the reporter: care the railroads
now changing freight at SO much per
100 weight?''
"Some of them are. -
"Does the Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern charge by weight -
eyes, when they can learn from con-
signees what the weight is, and when
they can It do that they guess at it, in
their own favor.
sszt' In this case where you sue the COM
merce act in connection with overcharge
for freight, did they guess at the
weight?''
eyes, or I should say rather they
charged us arbitrarily, because we would
not furnish the weights.
care the other commission merchants
here in the habit of giving the actual
weights of stock to the railway agents?''
"Some of them do so and receive from
the railways % cents per car for the in
formation -
'When the weights are not furnished
by the conslgnees have the railways no
means of their own of ascertaining what
the actual weights are?''
"NOne of the eastern have,''
"Yet they insist on charging so much
per 100 pounds, and having no means of
knowing the weight look to the con-
signees to help them out?''
"That's it exactly, and when con-
signees refuse they charge arbitrarily -
"When they charge by weight do they
charge so much per 100, no matter how
many pounds there are?''
''NO. The Eastern roads have entered
into a pool and established a schedule of
rates which makes the minimum weights
on cattle 20 200 pounds, on EGGS l6 900
pounds, and on sheep IA 900 pounds;
that is, they charge freight on that many
pounds whether the stock weighs that
much or not, but if it weighs more than
the minimum weights they charge so
much per hundred for what the stock
ahtually weighs if they cannot find out
from the consignees what the weight is,
or arbitrarily if they cannot. -
"Should the stock actually weigh
more than the established weight, and
thesc5hsignee should refuse to furnish
she weight, would the railway agent in
charging more than the minimum weight
be liable in case he charged for more
pounds than the stock actually weighed?"
''The agent in the case for which we
brought suit took the risk of charging us
for 2000 pounds more than the minimum
on shaSp. He charged us for 16 900
pouRds for one car of sheep when the
maFfnun weight is Il 900. The actual
weight of these sheep was 1890 pounds,
i*hd the company should have known that
and charged accordingly. -
"You think the agents action in this
case a clear infraction of the interstate
law?'
eyes; of sections and s.
eff you are successful in this suit, then
you hope to force the railways to build
scales of their own to weigh stock, or go
back TO the old plan of charging by the
carload?''
eff the rest of the commission mer-
chants will join me in the fight we can
force the railways to either build scales
at all shipping points or return to the old
plan. The chances are they would pre-
fer the latter rather than go to such
heavy expense.
"Do the railways make more money by
charging by weight than so much per car
load?''
"Of course. When they charge by
the carload a seipper puts in as much
stock as he can in a car and often has
% 900 pounds of cattle in carr
DELAYS BY WESTERN ROADS.
care the western roads charging by
weight"
"Most of them are. -
'Have they scales of their own at
shipping points, or do they depend on
the commission men to give them
weights?''
'Such of the western roads as charge
by we ght have scales on their tracks or
at the unloading chutes here at the
yards. They weigh the stock upon ar
rival, causing much delay inconvenience
and loss -