Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-15
Second Day Of the Railway Commits
sionerS Convention.
OVERCHARGES FULLY DISCUSSED
Government Control Passed Over
to Another Year. :,
VARIOUS ROUTINE MATTERS

The convention of railway commissioners
continued it's sessions today, the proceed
ngs, while being more or less technical,
developing great interest and receiving
earnest attention throughout the day. The
whole program OF topics reported by the
committee appointed at the last convention
was gone through with and was discussed
il passing by an and all those members Of
the convention who had experience in the
respective subjects brought forward. The
interchange of ideas between men so well
equipped and thoroughly informed on the
multitudinous questions and complications
arising in railroad operations made the
session one of special interest Yesterdays
session had cleared up most of the set and
prepared papers and today's time was oc-
cup:ed in an offhand consideration Of prac-
teal matters brought up by the committee.
Committees Appointed.
A new committee was appointed to con-
slider the subject of interstate electric rail-
ways. as outlined in Mr.. Woodruffs paper
yesterday on this important feature Of
railroad development. The committee con-
sists of Isaac B. Brown of Pennsylvania,
William Kirby of Onio Mr.. Putney of Yer
mont, J. w. Yantis Of Illinois and Joseph
Fiory of Missouri. This committee was in
structed to present to the next convention
a report on the development and operation
of electric roads, especially those engaged
in Interstate traffic, with view to placing
such roads under the operations of the in
terStata commerce act.
Messrs. Jordan of Georgia and Ainsworth
of Iowa We're added to the committee on
the classification of accounts, the states
which those gentlemen represent having
adopted under their laws systems of CLASH
fcation specially approved by the men,
beers of the convention.
The following committee on organization
and program for the next meeting was
appointed: G. NJ Woodwork, Connecticut;
Ira B. Mil, Minnesota; Edward Moseley,
Washington, D. c.; G. G. Jordan, Georgia;
E. c. Beddingiield, North Carolina. Mr..
Allen Fort, president of the present con-
vention; Mr.. Moseley, the secretary, and
Mr.. Martin Decker, the assistant secretary.
were eiec ted officers of the next convention
in their respective positions.
Overcharees Discussed.
Taking up the topic of >overcharges and
underchargss an interesting discussion fol-
lowed. in which Mr.. Fort of Georgia and
Messrs. Woodwork and Seymour of Con-
necticut recited the expe riences of shippers
in their respective states Mr.. James Pea
body of the Railway Review said that the
convention could do most good by getting
at the cause of overcharges, and gave L
most interesting description of the process
of shipping n carload of household goods
from burlington, Iowa, to any local point
in Georgia. The rate was secured. he said,
by the agent at Burlington telegraphng
his company at Chicago, who in turn, teie
graphed to Cincinnati, where a telegram
was sent on to Louisville, and thus a
through rate was made up by special con-
tract, in which each road signified the
proportion il was willing to take, and in
due time, varying from few hours 10 a
day, the freight agent at Burlington was
given a rate, which, if satisfactory. was ac-
tod hy- fDa CHI a M nIe CT n,t.
ed on toward their destination.
The difficulty was that while the agent at
Burlington might notify his road of the
acceptance of the rate by the shipper. no
notice was sent on to the other connecting
roads in the route and when the goods
were received at the nearest terminus of
each of these routes. the local rate was
promptly applied. and so when the goods
reached their destination in Georgia
serious overcharge would be made by the
delivering agent, who, in the absence of
ir formation and without notice, had no
ether alternative but to collect. The pro-
cess of adjusting the overcharge and Sc
curing a rebate was a tedious and COM
plicated one, which in almost all cases gave
the shipper great embarrassment.
4 Remedy.
Mr.. Peabody thought that if receiving
freight agents and companies were re-
oUired to file with the interstate commerce
commission notice of such through rates,
which would be precedents for subsequent
shipments over the same route, all the diff
ficulty might be obviated.
Mr.. Fort of Georgia, calling Mr.. Wood
worth of Connecticut to the chair, made
a speech upon the question. He urged that
there should be legislation which would
compel railroad companies to refund, where
cVerchargeS We're collected, by law suits,
twice tn amount of the overcharge, and
all expenses of litigation. With such
law he thought that delivering agents
would be very careful TIC prevent over
charges, they were now very careful
always to correct undercharges.
Interstate Commerce Commissioner Knapp
in very clear and concise speech said
that strict regulation should be made in
some way of this matter of overchargas
The commission received On an average one
serious complaint every day. In some
cases it was very plain that the receiving
roads shipped by longer routes than neces-
sary and made up routes that necessarily
Increased the charges and disappointed
shippers. s.As a rule The amounts involved
were small and the railroads had the bene-
tit of them, because patrons, rather than
go to law or have the trouble of securing
a refund, suffered in silence.
Mr. Jordan of Georgia said he thought
the trouble grow out of the anxiety of
reads in poor times to increase their bust
ness by modifying their classification Of
freight and shipping the goods at lower
rate than they really ought to be shipped
for so that when the terminal road col
IL
the classification and charge more than
the shipper expected to pay. He thought
the COW ention should act with caution
upon this matter
Interchangeable Mileage Rocks.
Mr.. Billings of Michigan brought up the
subject Of interchangeable mileage books.
This provoked a smile throughout the con-
vention. Mr.. Seymour said it had been at
tempted in Massachusetts and the courts
had decided against it, and that in his
opinion, the matter would not be attempted
there again until that experience was for
gotten. Mr.. Billings said the state of Mich
igan was likely TO have a law requiring all
the roads within the state to join in an
interchangeable mileage book for the con-
yenience OF commercial travellers, who OBJ
jected to the necessity of SO many different
books. Mr.. Ainsworth said that in Iowa
two or three roads were already practicing
this Interchange of books.
Government Ownership.
The subject of government ownership
control and regulation of railways was
passed over with the understanding that
the special committee or that subject. Ct
wi Mr. TaiSherp of NJipreSota o,,.,i,