Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-09-07
QUESTION OF DEMURRAGE.
r,lp JErTY CONTRACTORS PRE-
SENT THEIR CASE.
rhey say That the Railroads Hold
The Cars at intermediate Points,
therefore the Deiny-rsio Grande
rarnings-Notes and Personals.

Austin. Tex, Sept, 6.--AccordIng to
the understanding the railroad COM
mission, gave II hearing this morning
on the demurrage wrangle existing be-
tween the jetty contractors and the
Texas Car Service association. Messrs
oConnor and Smoot Of the firm OF
oconnor, Laing d smoot. jetty con-
tractors, Mir, Chas. Il. Peck, manager
Of the Texas Car Service association,
Major George Quinlan, representing
The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Pc in
addition 10 his own road, the Houston
and Texas Central. and superintendent
Ennis OF the San Antonio and Aransas
Pass, were present, As the word de-
murrage is not as well understood as
4 It might be, it is well to state that 1t
vas borrowed from marine parlance
and means the detention OF vessel
BY the frcishter beyond the time all
lowed for loading. unloading or sail
/ Ing"
In the present discussion and differ
,nee It means the delay in emptying
& cars OF stone shipped over the various
railroads. to the Jettles at Galveston,
causing loss to railroads from the late
ness OF the cara, which are said to re-
main on the side track longer than nee
tAsary and longer than the commission
! rule prescibes. This question arose
some time ago and the commission af-
! ter a hearing on the subject fixed tho
time at ten days, IN which cars were
expected to be unlOaded OF the stone
ior tetty use,
Not many days ago the jctty con-
+ tractors, O'Connor, Laing a Smoot'
isked the commission to change their
rle and allow them either !pnger
time or an unlimited time, Afte' some
preliminary talk as to who should open
The discussion, the commission decided
that the contractors were the plain
"a ins and must state their case, where
upon Messrs. O'Connor and Smoot
poke INTERCHANGEABLE exhibiting maps
and figures, the contract with the
United States government and other
matters In record form. The main con-
Antion OF the contractors is that mas
much as the work ON the jctties Is IN
lefferod with by the United states en-
cheers, who have their official duties
70 terform, by storms and rough seas
and by unavoidable detention OF cars
~ points near the Jetties by damage
% barges when the sea is rough,
ereaknge, etc, the rule already made
should be abroEated. II not ahrogated
men they wanted the best relief they
4 could get
MI Smoot said that the contractors
ma no absolute control OF the cars un-
r. y they had reached a certain point
indicated by him on the map, and
atd passed under the inspection OF the
pmted States engineers, and that often
cars We're charged up TO them and tide
vas running against them, when In
rallty they were detained by the rail-
roads themselves at an intermediate
pont He further said that the only
possible relief they could get would
70 do less work. say one-third OF
ene-half less. Tho contractors insisted
shemently that It was greatly TO theii
interest TO progress rapidly with The
Nc on the jetties. as they woulc
".t much sooner get their money,
after the jetty contractors finished
!. ysr argument before the commission
~ Peck introduced Major George
4 sAnlani Superintendent Leitnaker ant
n lnnis, superintendent OF the Snr
aaionio and Aransas Pass, 10 show
w There was unnecessary delay In tn
4 .urn OF cars loaded with stone leav
yunrries on their roads, Mr.. Peel
sned that the ten days allowed by
~ submission was ample and that M
, w ordinary circumstances forty-oigh
us Is all that would be allowed
~. commission viii reserve an opinioi
uA Judge Reagan returns.