The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-12
The Remedy for Shortage
Among Shinglemen.
BUT The CARS HAVE GROWN.
The Trczbfes of the single Business
and How They May Be settea
Ria oF-Sew Packages


ing wheat TO the sound and hops East.
the empty wheat cars being IaEen
right back 20 the Pa.ouse country
for another Load. The Great Northern
and Canadian Pacific are furnishing cars
| 20 shippers on their lines aud on the Bell
ingham Bay 4 British CoIumbia, aud are
hauling about al that Is offered. so that
the shingiemen have not as much TO com
plain OF as they had last year in regard 10
the supply Of cars. Ii IS the railroads
that are kicking now, for when single
man calls for more cars they say:
Why do you not load those We have
given you 20 their full capacity?"
The fact is the railroads are hampered IN
carrying out new measures OF economy by
the customs of the shingle trade The
prevailing low rates have forced them TO
make an effort 10 save money at every
point, and one point 10 which they are
now turning their attention is the enlarg-
ment of cars. for the larger the car the less
dead weight they will have TO haa for
every ton of paying freight. The result,
Is a continual increase in the size of cars
until thirty tons has become the standard
capacity of Great Northern box cars. Fur
ther, the minimum weight accepted as a
car load is pretty close 10 the maximum
capacity of the car, and with such light,
bulky commodities as shingles q railroad
company wants every cubic foot OF space
occupied with paying freight instead OF
air. This state of affairs resulted so long
ago as last March in the sending of cir
culaF to all agents on the Great Northern
coast lines by General Manager p. P.
Shelby, in which he says:
Il wish to call your particular attention
10 the following rules in regard to the load
ing of lrmb Der and shingles:
''In the loading OF all cars of shingles
and light lumber great care should be ex-
ercIsed 10 see that they are loaded 10 their
full cubic capacity.
I'm the loading of all cars with heavy,
green lumber great care should be exer-
cised TO see that they are not loaded be-
yond their marked capacity.
I'm the loading of all dat cars with Ium-
Der, etc, great care should be exercised TO
see that the cars are properly and suifi-
GENTLY staked TO insure perfect safety dur
ing their transportation TO the Easi''
But here came difficulty. The single
men, accustomed to the old-style car of
twenty tons capacity, had formed the
habit Of selling by the car load on that
basis. One of these cars holds from u.s.
COO to 1900 singles, while the new cars
with one-third more dead weight will hold
double this quantity, according to
the estimates OF the railroad men,
or 10000 to 10000 according to
the shinglemen. The transcontinental
roads do not wish these cars to go off
their own lines. for they are brand-new.
at least those on the Great Northern are.
cost twice as much and have double the
earning power, yet if they are allowed TO
60 oil to connecting lines in the East
they only earn the same mileage as the
smaller ones and may not return TO the
owners line for two or three months.
Thus. unless they can be kept on the
owners line, there is no indueement TO
put the extra cost in them. So
when car load of shingles
reaches Minnesota Transfer 1t is
transferred TO the cars of the
connecting line and, as they are of the
smaller size, makes not quite two car
loads. That makes the Eastern line kick.
for 1t, too, wants its cars loaded full. and
the buyer of the shingles may also kick,
for he understands by car load one of
twenty not thirty tons. That causes
trouble all along the line, right back to the
shipper and the receiving railroad.
The result is that the railroad compan-
les have been complaining that the shin
giemen do not load the cars to their full
cubic capacity and are bringing pressure
10 bear upon them. Ii a shin
gieman has an order for a twen-
ty-toh car he puts in the car no
more than the minimum weight necessary
to secure car load rates, though its
capacity may be thirty tons. The rail-
road companies. give them only large
cars and insist on having them loaded
iuh IN order 10 get full earnings
out OF them. The shInglemen objects TO
the transfer at Minnesota Transfer, say
ing that It causes many of the packages to
be broken. The buyer claims rebate for
these and the manufacturer cannot re-
cover ii from the railroad, tor the freight
handlers deny having broken any pack
ages. To this the railroad men reply that
the lunches of shingles are put together
ike hen eoops ana fail To pieces easily. all
because of the manufacturer desire 10
dry the last drop OF moisture out Of them
ani his crude method of packing.
This brings up the question OF packing
ana drying. Each party wants to econo-
mlze. but he can only d. it by friendly CO..
va '1C part VI the DINER. In
order To reduce the freight charges on each
loo shingles the manufacturers have been
drying them 0ut till they are light as cbins
year and a half ago they adopted as the
standard weight per thousand, $50 hounds
Tor SIX to two inch ani 100 pounds for five
10 two inch, bat now they dry them down
10 10 aud even / 10 pounds for SIX n two
inch. though II Is claimed cedar eannot ha
dried much below TO pounds without i'm.
pairing ats quality. The Eastern daslsrs
offer inducements 10 drying out shingles
by paying an add tional price Tor getting
kAe weight below certain standard. This
Is where the manufacturers economics
and tie railroad men say they do
not object If the punches are made 20 as,o
PACK the car completely fun. for tbav
AHt every ear TO make the most possible
tof them every trip. They urge that IL il
20 tue interest Of the shinelemen "a 40
'his. Tor the fuller the cars are loaded ,ha
Jess cars will he needed and the less ,,,,
cry about shortage Of cars.
several persons are experimanti,, -,
Tie packing Of shingles so as To save 49,
sod make tue punches strong enou-b -
hotd together in transferring. 4 ua4,s
SNAPPED bunch has been made f,or,9,,4
VIA hcop lron instead Of wooden str,ns
N"'eh PACKS compsct.v. The sedro MAJ
: 10 press tue bunch together So a.
70 reduce ats bulk - per cent a,3
t.'eh o'nd Il with hoop iron or wira
tfr'ideoi W H. Weldon, Of the SeattIs
CEDAR Lo'nbFr Company. Is nov Ioafin-
s4Afie car wlth package If
his uRn invent.