The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-09-20
THE FREIGHT BUREAU.
How This Important Branch of Railroad
Enterprise L. Conducted.


Few people have any idea OF the
comprehensive system that attaches
10 the receiving and forwarding OF
freight by the Sailroads. Here, for
instance, nj skeds OF the St. L.. X. Il
n. W. the casual observer would sup
pose that the freight is simply re-
ceived from the wagons on one side OF
the depot. carried or trucked across
and dumped into the outbound cars
on the other side. He would also as
sumo that only local regulations gov
erned the handling OF freight On tho
contrary. there is n perfect system ex-
tending all over the country, and rec
ognized by the Interstate Commerce
act, so that the same rulos equally APP
ply in Boston, 81. Louis and San Fran
cisco. More Immediately we are un-
der the control OF the Western Rail-
way Weighing Association and In
spection Bureau, comprising over sew
enty railroads. with George L. Car
man. general superintendent, at Chi
cago. and Charles johnson, agent, at
ST. Louis. This association-as there
are others like IL, covering other parts
OF the country issues classification
and rate sheets four times year, and
special bulletins at more frequent in
tervals. OF the Importance OF correct
classification and rating you may
judge when | cite section 10 OF the
Interstate Commerce act. which
makes II felony for n common car
rier or any OF its agents or employees
20 knowingly connive at false billing OF
freight or false weighing, and visits the
same penalty OF 5000 fine or impris-
onment in the pcnitentiary for two
years upon the shipper who knowing
ly resorts TO false weighing, or bribes
any railroad employe to resort TO dis
elimination in behalf OF such shipper.
The inspector must check over the
classification by the latest sheet, and
verify the weight OF the freight To
do this he must open and examine the
freight aud make corrections. This
saves considerable to the railroad, for,
either through ignorance or design.
the shipper often gives n wrong classi-
Gcation and as frequently underweighs
the shipment. ] am obliged TO make
weekly reports OF these examinations
TO the local agent OF the road and TO
the general Offices OF the Inspection
Bureau at Chicago. and my corrections
frequently show erroneous rating and
weighing TO the value OF 5000 or $500
This sum Is saved 10 the railroad, for
IL is an extraordinary exception when
the shipper enormously bills against
himself. Even the over-workcd bill
clerks are apt TO make mistakes in
classification, the changes are so
humorous, and il Is hard 90 remember
the relative relations OF thousands
OF articles shipped by freight
SO, perhaps, 10 Is little wonder
that n shipper sometimes bills cut
lcry as hardware or that another may
try 20 get through barbcr's or dent
lists chair rs ordinary furniture. But
they do not succeed. The inspectors
know freight and what 10 change tho
classification TO I'm case Of error. Be-
sides the Inspection Bureau resorts 20
n species OF detective business in tho
case OF suspected shippers who under
bill, and we interchange bulletins OF
warning. The system is as nearly por-
feet as any thing human can be. and
the shippers are SO far learning tho
fact that they now make out their
shipping tickets far more correctly
than formerly. st. Louis Globe
Democrat.