The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-17
FREIGHT RATE CHANGES.
Most Important tx In Rcspect g,
southern CinssificntIoD

Most Important liz In Respect 10
southern Classification.
New York August 16-After repeated
protests made by merchants and shinners
in all parts of the country against
changes and advances in the cllssihca-
tion OF freight moving into territory so1th
OF the Ohio and east of the Mississipni
rivers, the Southern classification com.
mittee has granted number of conees.
sions, involving changes in the m io,s
as originally contacted in The schedules
promulgated on February and June /.
The new ratings have just become En-.
/ fectiye and are the only RESPONSE so far
made to the shippers protests. The mos
important change, perhaps Is in respe,t
10 the rule Ia Southern classification xo.
70 and ", that prohibited the acceptance
/ by southern lines OF shipments packed In
so called fibre packing cases. The South
ern roads originally refused. absolutely,
10 accept sncn cases for shipment but
have now followed the example Of the
.ruhN Inc roads and agree tr accept them.
but impose an additional rate, tho same
ae do the trunk lines. On behalf os is
members, the Merchants association of
New York strongly protested against H..
stand at first taken by the Southern roads
in this matter
In addition to this concession beans.
NOS, dried, in barrels or sacks. are ia.
duced from second to fourth class m ,ess
than carload lots reduction of clio
class has also been made in less thsn
carload and in carload lots OF ale. hcnr
and porter. This makes carload rates en-
beer lower than ever before in Southern
territory and restores the less than car.
load rate in the original rating
The rates on coffee ammonia, salaratue
and axle grease have been reduced, h1t
rates on edible nuts are advanced.
The new rule regarding fibre cages
reads,
rule tB).-Property presentel to
carriers. packed in so-called boxes or
board, wood pulp hber. wired splint
wood or other analogous material. IN;
closed IN wooden frames will be charged
10 per cent higher than the classification
provided for such property in box az
cases, subject to minimum increase OF
] Per cent per 100 pounds"
j. NJ. Langley of the Merchants asso-
citation said IN an Interview: "OCr asso-
citation has persistently contested tht
right OF transportation lines to refuse to
accept shipments of goods packed IA
hber caseG. First gra.a iher packing
cases are in all respects as substantial a.
wooden boxes ami are extensively USED
by wholesale and jobbing houses i'll many
lines. The objectionable ruling was clear
ly an unjust discrimination in favor OF
manufacturers Of the latter, and this has
been continually pointed out,
THE Southern lines, however, resisted
clims for justice up to the point at WHICH
legal test was imminent. but have Low
changed their classification to carrespond
in this respect with that in force in other
classification territories. These acceP.
shipments made in fibre packing caseS
hut impose penalty of 10 per cent high
err than the classification provided for
such properly shipped in wooden boxes.
The Southern classification conlmittee,
which has Jurisdiction in these matters
for all transportation lines In the South
has not shown Itself to be responsive u
argument or reason in respect to Tie aj-
vances it is attempting TO enforce, ttpu
its rulings are now in process OF iuYesu-
cation by all the State railroad commits
cions of Southern States. These have de
clned to accept the classification tbat DC
came effective June ], but will consider
In Joint session on August 30, at Lookolt
Mountain Tenn, a proposition to reject
it and restore classification known rs
No %. which was in effect prior to Feb
ruary l. That classification was entirely
satisfactory to all commercial interests
and was observed without complaint for
years.