Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-02-22
FIGHT THE RAILROADS.
An ORGANIZATION Which Aims to
Secure Fair Treatment for
Shippers.

Chicago, ILL.,, Feb 13.-Representative
of great commercial organizations gath
cred at the board of trade today to at
tend the annual meeting of the Nation
I'll Transportation association. About
twenty-five delegates were present
prominent shippers and business men
from all parts of the country and rep
resenting a membership of about 10000.
The meeting, which was held behind
closed doors, was called to order by
President Frank Barry of Milwaukee,
who delivered his annual address.
In the course of his annual address,
President Barry took occasion TO refer
to the railroads and their various com
pacts and associations for self-Drotcc-
ton and interests, in the following way:
The railroads and transportation COM
panies of the United States-some strong
and others Weak-for many years contend
cd independently of each other for the
shipping patronage of the country. Dis
astrous rate wars, facilitating rebates and
other causes, injurious to their success as
well as the shippers interests, made bust
ness improbable to them and life bur-
den to their stockholders and officers alike
Then commenced ali a1ea Of agreements
between competing lines, combinations
and pools or, as they are now designat-
cd, traffic agreements out Of defer
cnce to the interstate commerce law.
The further that experiments were con
the railroads convinced that their salvation
lay in the strength Of union. Sectional as.
sCciations in turn joined hands with each
other until at last there has been evolved
the most magnificent and successful system
of national organization that has ever been
accomplished by. any branch Of business
our railroads millions of dollars and vast
expenditure of energy and thought, but
they will all concede that every dollar Of
the outlay has been well spent
The shipper, during the period or InCu-
baton of this great scheme of organization,
was an interested but passive spectator,
until one day the latter part of 1890 he
was suddenly awakened to a realization
that the railways were getting pretty thor
oughly organized, and that, intent upon
tent overlooked his Announcement was
at that time made by joint traffic associa-
ton that, in conformity with a general
or uniform bill of lading' would immedi-
ately be put into use by practically all
roads of the country. Inspection Of 9f,,i this
evasion of all liability on the part of the
common carrier of duty imposed by. the
common law. Protests from individual I t3l
the firm assurance that if the proposed
form was not agreeable, one might refrain
from employing the services of the rail
roads, but that if he wished to ship by
these lines, he would have to accept the
obnoxious form of bill of lading.
This emergency Impressed the shipper
ton, that he might fight fire with fire.
if necessary and check the action OF the
railroads when calculated to do him injury
A convention Of delegates from all the
leading boards of trade and commercial or
CARNATIONS in the United States was held
for the purpose of comforting relative to
ways and means to defeat the proposed
action of the transportation companies,
which deemed unfair and unlawful.
This convention resulted in the organiza-
tion of a permanent association, known as
the National Transportation association, on
September %, 1890, the stated purpose of
which was ito take action in the interest
which exist. or may hereafter arise, bear
ing upon matters of transportation, and the
relations between the public and common
carriers
At first the railroads looked askance upon
our association and were not at all back
ward in expressing disapproval as to its
plans. The commissioner of one of the
leading traffic organizations characterized
this body as 1.-THE gentlemen in search OF
q mission but shortly afterward he dis
covered that the same, gentlemen did have
a mission and strength enough to prevent
the general adoption of the proposed unN
form bill of lading.'
Today the management of many of the
railway companies look upon this associa-
IiOn with fair ;flOunt of favor, and seem
willing that we Snail at least be heard as
representing shippers interests when legis-
latiOn is had upon transportation subjects.
They evlnce q readiness to meet with us
in conference and to pay due Difference to
our expressed desires or plans. They rec
ognize the fact that this association is in
no sense an enemy but is in fact friend,
so far as they will permit it to be; that we
simply stand as the protector of shippers
forced, almost unlimited resources and
power can be brought to bear through the
constituency of this association to secure
right and justice.
He was followed by George F. Stone
secretary of the Chicago board of trade.