The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-17
uNIronM c1AssIrIoArIoN.
A Southern ofncial on the Lookout
for system.
New Orleans Picaynne,

New Orleans Picaynne.
The Atlanta Constitution of Sunday
says: The promise OF uniform elassi-
aging Speaking along TINS line AIR. a.
Pope secretary OF the Southeh RAILWAY
ana Steamship association, SAID yester-
''rhis question is now in the hands OF
a committee composed OF an equat nun
Der of representatives from S acn os tne
great freight trnthc assoclatlohs o. we
country, to-wit; The trunk mes, inc Cen
trail Traffic association, the New Englanui
the Southern Railway and steamship ana
"This committee, acting under the au-
thority and approval OF these respective
to be held in New York on the l0th Of
December, It's work of revising ana unlty-
ing the different freight classlllcatlons
now in use, with the purpose oil compiling
therefrom a. uniform classification;
Additional meetings VIII be helu from
time to time as frequently az me etner
committee will permit until the revision
and compilation is completed, when the
results aecomplsaed WI De to fb cue
associations represented ana tnen APP
prevail asked and IL so approved, date
Tor uniform adoption Will doubtless be
"ifhe work OF accomplishing such uni
furmity was commenced on q slnlar
basis in 1889 by q similar committee, OF
which many OF the members OF the press
ent committee were likewise members.
Much patient labor at sessions covering
nearly two years was employed nnd
comprehensive classification was forinu-
lated. 1t did not receive, In some par
ticulars the approval Of one n or Two ss I'm,
was essential and, therefore. 1t failed
of adoption. The matter mas been now
revived under conditions that insure the
cooperation OF the lines that formerly OBJ
1ected, and no doubt the committees
work VIII be successful.
THE Importance OF uniform freight
classification throughout the entire coun-
try is believed to be self-evident. a sufh-
cient number of classes will doubtless be
employed to enable articles of like kind
and value to be properly classified so as
to enable equitable rate treatment, and
and conditions OF freight traffic of the
country as the product of its mines, for
ests. fields and manufacturers.
"Wherever, within a particular section
of country there exists or occurs specific
products for the transportation of which
the rates established for the different
appear inapplicable, the right to use
properly authorized commodity rates will
doubtless be Granted.
THE advantages that will accrue from
such n classification are: To the railways
or other carriers, concentration of vari-
GUS articles of freight in tremendously
thereof at rates that can be more easily
and equitably adjusted than where diff
fering classiflcations are used; a decrease
to a low minimum of the number of arti-
ces on which special rates are required
to be made. and an ability to obtain better
rates and revenue generally on traffic
without injury to the commercial inter-
ests greater ease In quoting and making
of through rates of transportation within
widely extended areas of territory. with
the greater assurance of protection of
tariff rates as named in the bills of lad
ing, and greater freedom from overcharge
in the delivery, and, consequently, greater
I freedom from resulting claims
40 the public the greater advantages
would appear TO be in largely improved
conditions under which existing areas of
territory could be reached, and also ex-
tended and, assuming that, to a very
/ large degree, il not wholly, such uniform
classification would he made applicable
! to local as well as competitive traffic of
/ the various railways, tho discriminative
conditions against local stations traffic
greatly relieved: the greater degree Of ac-
clTacy with which the cost of transnorta-
| ton could he gauged as a factor in the
| business Of producers, manufacturers