The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-03
uNDERBILLING OF FREIGHT.
Jay Gould's War on It Makes Many
Merchants Angry.


The merchants of this city are realizing that
Jay Gould's association of railroads for main-
tanning rates is vigorously alive, and many OF
them do not take kindly to the fact. One of the
results of the organization OF the new Trafhc
Association was the location at every point on
the Pacific coast to which the transcontinental
tariff applies of an inspector, whose duty 1T is
to see that tariff rates maintained, especially
by discovering and correcting all cases OF I'M
derbillng Such inspectors have been located
at Victoria, hatcom, Seattle and Tacoma, ana
at all points taking transcontneniai rates as Tar
south as San Diego. They take the freight bills
OF every train, and on its arrival examine the
goods to see that they correspond with the des-
crption given in the bill of lading. In all
cases where the description places shipment
in any other class than the one to which 1t
properly belongs, the classification is corrected
and the freight bill changed accordingly. II
the Inspector finds evidence that any freight
agent has conniyed at a case of underbilling he
reports the fact to J. W. Spencer, the chief IN
spector at San Francisco, and he reports to
Chairman vining, of the Transcontinental AS
ISOLATION who has the offender disciplined.
]. H. Reynolds the inspector stationed in this
city, said In an interview with Posr-ISTELLI-
eENcER reporter yesterday: "The object OF this
system is the rigid maintenance of the tariff
and classification without favor to any shipper.
Many people have been getting their
goods through at low rates by Undertaking.
for years and they naturally kick furiously at
having them raised to the proper classification.
Yet the rigid enforcement of the tariff is in the
interest of justice TO all by making all pay the
same rates on the same class of goods, and thus
all will be ON the same terms. When the mer-
chants once realize that they must pay certain
rate on certain articles and that everybody else
is paying the same rate, they will become re-
eonciled to the rigid enforcement of the tariff
s.The underbiliing of goods coming TO this city
amounts to between and 10 per cent. of the
whole quantity One of the commonest cases is
the Undertaking. of paper, which is divided into
two classes, ono valued at cents pounds or
less aud the other at over 5 cents. Thus
writing paper is billed as printing paper, and
hook paper newspaper. Compound oil is
passed as lubricating oil, and IL the inspector
raises the classification, the consignee will tell
him that only an expert oil man can determine
which il is. Photograph cards are billed as
pasteboard and gilt molding, which pays 81 %
from New York, as wood melding, which pays
3l.sa Finished machinery, such as steam
pumps, Is billed as castings, and insulated wire
rs copper wire. There is a low commodity tariff
on sheeiing and calico. and attempts are made
TO set in wooden goods, fancy dress and other
dry goods under It, Silks and satins
take the highest dry goods rate, but
there is not much attempt as
you would think to get them In lower classes
Porcelain is titled as earthenware and mahog-
any as common furniture. No penalty is added
for Undertaking., except In the case of sash and
doors, which are third-ciass il billed as SUCH
but If billed as lumber are raised to first class
"a man needs 10 have considerable knowledge
Of various Glasses OF goods to be able TO act as
an inspector, but he can easily Judge of such
things as whether paper is book paper or news
paper, or whether an article is merely a casting
or piece OF machinery"