St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-17
The Trunk Lines Ordered to
Make New Freight Class
ifications.
Unjust Discrimination Be-
tween Carload and Less
Than Carload Rates,
And the Companies Are Re-
Quired to Correct the
Differences.
The Commission Memorial
lied by More Than Four
Thousand Persons.

w WASHINGION, MdICu lO.-l uC lutCi-
state commerce commission yesterday.
in an opinion by Commissioner Schoon-
maker. decided the cases brought
against the trunk lines by F. B. Thur
Der and others, Thomas l.. Greene and
Francis II. Leggett Il Co.. of New York
city, known as tie carload cases." in
favor of the compainants. Complaint
was made of too great differences in
rates charged on carload and less than
carload quantities. The cases excited
widespread interest, and more than
1000 persons, firms and corporations
doing business in various sections OF
the country filed memorials with the
commission expressing their views for
or against the relief sought for
by the complainants. The points
decided are briefly stated as
follows: Classification Of freight
for transportation purposes is in
terms recognized by the act to
regulate commerce, and is therefore
lawful. 1t IS also valuable convent
ence both TO shippers and carriers. A
classification of freight designating diff
and for less than carload quantities for
transportation at a lower rate in car
loads than in less than carloads, is not
in contravention of the act to
Regulate Commerce.
The circumstances and conditions of
the transportation in respect to the
work done by the carrier and the rev.
enue earned are dissimilar. and may
Justify reasonable difference in rate.
The public interests are Subserved by
carload classifcatlOns of property that,
on account of the volume transported
to reach markets or supply the
demands of trade throughout the
country legitimately or usual
ly moves iii such quantities.
Carriers are not at liberty to classify
property as basis OF transportation
rates, and impose charges for its car
riage with exclusive regard to their own
interests, but they must respect the in
terests of those who may have occasion
to employ their services, and conform
their charges to the rules Of relative
equality and justice which the act pre-
scribes. Cost of service is an important
element in fixing transportation charges,
and entitled to fair consideration. but it
is not alone controlling nor so applied
in practice by carriers, aud the value of
the service to the property carried is an
essential factor to be recognized in con-
nection with other considerations. The
public interests are not to be subordin-
ated to those of carriers, and require
proper regard for the
Value of the Service
in the apportionment of all charges
upon traffic. A difference in rates upon
carloads and less than carloads of the
same merchandise between the same
points of carriage so wide as to be de-
structive to competition between large
and small dealers, especially upon arti-
cles of general and necessary use. and
which under existing conditions of
trade furnish large volume of business
to carriers, is unjust, and violates the
provisions and principles of the act. A
difference In rate for solid carload of
one kind of freight from one consignor
to one consignee. and carload quantity
from the same point of shipment
to the same destination, consist
ing of like freight, or freight
of like character, from more than one
consignor to one cOnsignee or from one
consignor to more than one consignee,
is not justified by the difference in cost
of handling. Under the official classti-
cation the articles known in trade as
grocery articles are so classified as to
discriminate unjustly in rates between
carloads and less than carloads upon
many articles, and revision of the
and rates to correct unjust
differences and give these respective
modes of shipment more relatively rea-
sonable rates is necessary and is SO Or
dered.