New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-19
RAILROAD RED-TAPE.
THE WANDERINGS OF A CLAIM FOR OVER
CHARGE ON FREIGHT.
HOW GREAT MANY DOLLARS ARE SPENT III
AVOID THE PAYMENT OF A FEW CENIo-
VIEWS OF SOME BUSINESS MEN ABOUT
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A TRANS

business OOnc by one Vi tHc biNhV b"''N ''-'
does not seem surprising that there should be more
or less formaIity about some Of its transactions.
As matter of fact, however, the great mass OF
the freight and passengers are handled with smooth
ness and dispatch that can hardly be appreciated Dy
one who is not familiar with the workings of the syS
tenn The great armies Of men in the central oiceS' on
the trains In the yards and at the various stations
move together with the harmony Of the parts OF
bir machine of iron and steel. There are some de-
partmcnts however which do not work WIN tle
rapidity and directncss Of Others. one OF theSe
is that which investigates and passes upon all claims
made AGAINST the road for overcharge for damage 10
freight or for anything else By which the shipper al
leges that he sustains loss.
WHY FEW CLAIMS GET INTO COURT.
The railroad sets out with the knowledge that like
Tshmae it has every mans hand against it, while at
the same time unlike him. it must try to keep on good
terms with the rest Of the world
IL seems be Of the principles OF the average
business man." said railroad man, that to get acad
OF a railroad company IS most commendable ieat'
Yet at the time if the company overreachcS MN
I'm any way even through his own mistake he at once
makes most vigorous complaint, and generally does
not let the matter drop until he gets some sasfaon
as he generally does or untl the company Pio'c' 10
position to be right
These claims seldom get into court Sometimes the
company spcnds so much time In invest eating the de
and of its patron that he gives mp in despair Mu'h
more frequently however the claim is paid, after 1t
has gone the ROUNDS Oi auoi'oI9' H''E"' @eo",' 49,.
agents. commercial agents and other oihcals' hV'l
where there is reasonable doubt about the justice OF
the shippers cause the company "'O'u id'"o. pas
money at once than 20 to court fof DIX 'o'po'''0'
has small chance of success before jury.
When the amount il large. however, and the com
pany has so"d case 1t VILE 70 '' tr' t.i, in,
IS because ior one reason ,S S'op III 70 no.
pei the complainant 10 "l.I''%" .a+ ,, no ,,,ap.,
Du'."t,, ''a, ~ ,rrd ro, contest the case if il
not assured that it had the law on t- sie AS'n
big corporation Ha' n''leI ""S'''' ~ = ''' i i',
the SHIPPER ana CHI SpcIu i'''0 "'''0' ~
he can.
WiIrN 1T PAYS TO DEFEND THE SUIT.
s,,orld tho man pro~, h, suit. in spite Of these
. ,,o,,,,.,. tr. r,,lr.,d couluauv if the decision
~, ,,, i,,.r ,r,t IL AGAINST H. can afford to appeal
the case. II is more likely TO get verdict in It's
favor from the judiciary Of an appellate court. whose
,nenIor. are NOT greatly ,yaycd by the popular peIu
dice AGAINST big CORPORATIONS. than from jury.
ou tho other hand # A, railroad company makes
r,i.t,t. and my. "a simmer money which j, not
,i,ltl, dine him if ba, no rcdre-- some time ago,
road i'm thi, city received for shipment lot OF
nccluies which hld been damaged by rain. throu-h
the fault # the cou,.-uor The clerk OF the railroad
int,,.od tbo recent DAMAGED by rain" when the
goods arrived AZ their destination. FAR western city,
tine consi.ucc 40 once sent claim for 900 damage,
t th, road which made the delivery. y, the proof
~ the loss Wa, ndulatlblc the road without further
Investigation. paid the sum. Finding that the loss
t,1 ,,, boon Incurred vhiI. the articles were in t,
,har... ID ..lt ID claim go the road which had Pc
co.,,d tn. GOOD, i'm thi, city, rhc dpp,oata receipt
in POSSESSION Of the agent here showed AZ once that
thc con,i.nor was 10 blame and the information
.ont ~ thc road that had paid the claim. Then there
VA, a b, STIR The road demanded the return of its
nancy but met with a nat refusal IL knew the
,.,.r . n,r.. I'm, well 10 20 ~, Law for redress.
INDiECHNIHE Akt NL'HN HENi'D 'r'
In view Of the numerous complaints that are made
Of ovcrcharsc-. might be thought likely int mr.,
take "i the "iI"-. ' n'"' ~"'"" %, ~"
II they no. the i''ii''u u'" 'o''l Nv" w. D" ,,,
well. permp-' that 'icS 90 "''' '"' 9'," al i@ I
III ue '"Ih "'P''" "'.l' W va "''" 49,.
were 70 nave man ul' III '.,' w, 'r'
charged hlm ch"u-H' il ""''u u'no 10 '0 '
10 recover from 'u' a9'''l'"''"'
50 frequent are the occasions "Ieh ci'i' are sent
in that firms that ship great deal nave one ciefA
who dcvoteS his whole tim" I" LOOKING ai'er ""A' -
due them from uu'por'"uo' 'o"P'"
road comp'hic' on 'l' "''' manu- 90 -
man. known aS the c"mhler'l" d-'''' '"' P''
Of whose duties Is To represent Uc1 '' 1t" '"'i'
with those who have claims. lie must o. ",''N
acquainted among business '''.'' "'I ,,a ,.,,,.-
glib tongue and manners thal "hp''9' S''Pp,'S
favorahN. lie smoothe' over diih'"''le'' anu nc
j, a competent man. VIII gener'IN P'I'u'"c supper
withdraw his patronage rom tine ro'u' eve" "
,i. claim b. ,ut allowed
"' '''" ~ w , 49,, ,,,. IL, tbo Investigation
what causes '' W"'" ~" ''F' '' | .,
Of many of these claims the fact that freight that Is
,t, .,., d-,,r.. generally passes through the
,"'It'" "' - .,,..,.',. ,,,.,.o,,rtlv
hands ~ several IdiI'"'" ''"l''l-'' l'''
the paper, must pass through nam
lrr Of hand, for every step that
, -, .,.. 4, tdea cam IA, ATTAINED Of the
H. "'H'" '' ''' '' " -, 80 ,..,,,.. t
u-clc-- trouble ana expense WHICH are H''l"."'H j"
,r, l the railroads from the incident Of lost ball
,- I'LL, a. ,.,i hy , clrrl, in the claim dcpart-
"l l"'"'' "''' '' ''
meut of trunk me
tAprr.p or NCINTM FOR TWFNTYTUEEE CENTS.
'''''''' "
y "''''' ~ ' .. n.i,.,d .l,r.
"'''N - III -, cont. va. MISSING
"n' "''''' IT.. - .t