Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-22
AFTERTHE SHIPPERS.
Local Roads Organize to Facilitate
Prompt Unloading of Cars.
A CHARGE OF A DOLLAR PER DAY
To be Placed on Careless GOnsignees After
the First 4S Hours.
FAVORITISM OUT OF TIE QUESTION

The local railroads have formed a car
association, and in the future they propose
to make shippers and consignees, who are
careless about unloading freight cars, walk
chalk line. A meeting was held a few
days ago in Superintendent Pitcairn's Office,
of the Pennsylvania road, and the other
lines with the exception of the P, C. g Y,
were represented. Nothing has yet been
said to the officials of the latter road, but
they are expected to join.
The object of the association is to facili-
tate the rapid unloading Of cars. Many
consignees are careless, and allow freight to
stand for days before removing it. The
railroads propose to make them whack up at
the rate of 81 per car for every day after the
first 48 hours. The only exception is made
in the case of iron ore, and the demurrage
will be charged on this article alter Y hours.
MR.. SCOTT THE MANAGER.
Superintendent David McCargo, of the
Allegheny VALLEY, who was the chief
agitator of the scheme, acted as chairman
of the meeting. It has been decided
to make Thomas Scott manager of the asso-
citation. At present Mr.. Scott is engaged in
collecting coke statistics for the local rail-
roads. He will be assisted by a force of
clerks, and the association will be conducted
independently of the lines. No favor1tism
will be shown, and the pound of flesh from
the delinquent cohsignee will be exacted
with scrupulous refinement. Similar asso-
Citations exist at Chicago, Buffalo, Youngs-
town and Cleveland, and they are doing
good work.
Superintendent Holbrook, of the Lake
Erie, in speaking of the association yester-
day, said: "We are not yet organized, but
that will soon be accomplished.
THE PLAN AS FORMULATED.
1.-THE design is to take the collec ton of
demurrage out of the hands of the general
freight agents, and put it in charge of peo-
pie not connected with any of the lines. In
times past some of the roads insisted on de-
murrage and the others didn't. A careless
consignee would kick to the freight agent,
and complain that another road wasn't
charging him for the use of cars, and he
would be blanked if he would pay it. He
would tell the agent that it he didn't like
that he would ship by the other road alto
gether. The present association is intended
to,avoid all this trouble.
"For example, a consignee makes con-
tract with shipper for five cars of pig iron
per day. The shipper finds it easier to load
30 and send them along. When you 60 to
the consignee and ask him why he doesn't
unload the cars, he throws up both hands,
and blames it on the shipper. Well, if that
consignee understands that he must pay 81
per day for the use of cars, he will see to it
that shippers are more careful"
General Freight Agent c. s. McCargo, of
the Allegheny Valley road, said he thought
the work of the association would have
much to do in relieving the annual car fam
ines. He could not say in what proportion
its successful operation would assist the
roads, but he thought in some cases it would
add as many as one-third to the present
number of available cars, and under a
bustling manager probably this ratio would
be increased to one-half