St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-30
The Minnesota Loan and Trust Co.
Allows per cent interest on siX-months
deposits.
DEMURRAG { CHARGES.
ROilroad Men and Grain Men Be
fore the Railroad Commission

ROiIroad Men and Grain Men Be-
fore the Railroad Commission.
Yesterday afternoon the state rail
road and warehouse commission met the
representatives of the railroads and the
committee from the Minneapolis Grain
Receivers association at the chamber
of commerce, to talk over the complaint
of the grain receivers, that the railroads
are charging too much demur-
rage through the Terminal Dis
patch. General Superintendent Case
and Traffic Manager Moehler of
the Great Northern; General Super
intendent Scott, of the Omaha; Chair
man Dudgeon, of the Terminal Dispatch,
and others were there in the interest of
the railroads Messrs. Petit, Sammis
and Commons represented the grain re-
ceivers. Grain Inspector Clausen looked
after his own interests. First, Gen.
Becker read the letter that the railroad
commission had received from the grain
men, and asked that the grain receiv-
ers state their grievances. F. r.
Petit stated that the grain men
wanted the commission to look into
two questions: Is the Terminal
Dispatch entitled to any demurrage
where grain is reinspected and the un-
minal Dispatch entitled to any demur-
rage when the grade of the grain is
changed by the reinspection.
Until couple of weeks ago the rail
roads charged the grain receivers 81 per
day where the grain was called out for
reinspection. Then the rate was raised
to 81. That occaSioned the kick. This
demurrage comes out of the shipper of
the grain or the farmer. The grain
men think the advance in the
charge is unjust because the shipper
and the receiver are not responsible for
the delay caused by the reiDSpection.
that. Then Mr.. Sammis raised the
further polntfor the consideration of
the commission. If the Terminal Dis
patch can charge demurrage, where
does the right to charge it end? If 81
can be charged, why not So or $40?
The argument of the railroad men was
that they do not want to make money
by charging demurrage. They charge
it merely to expedite the unloading of
cars, so that they can send them back
into the country for more wheat. AS
proof that that was the cause and the
effect OF the raise in demurrage charges
they cited the fact that they have been
able to handle 100 cars more per day
since the raise was made. The demands
for reinspection have fallen off an aver
age of ten cars per day since the adj
vance was made.
MI Clausen rather sided with the
grain men. He said that his men work
extraordinarily hard to get wheat in
spected soon after it lands in Minneap-
oils merely to help the railroads get the
cars out again quickly. Errors some
times occur, but they are attributable
mainly to the haste with which the in
spectors work. The grain men put in
that the advance in demurrage charges
would have the effect of making the
wheat inspectors work faster and con-
sequently make more mistakes. 1t
also has the effect of dissuad-
ing the receivers from demand
ing reinspection often when it
should be demanded, because the de-
murrage comes out of the pocket of the
shipper, aud the commission man does
not like to subject him to that expense.
| In Chicago and Milwaukee no chargesjs
made for demurrage where the grade Of