The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-23

NEW FREIGHT CLASSIFICATION Is
NOT SATISFACTORY.
Hearing Given by the Trunk Line
Railway AssOcintion-Compl
of Leading Manufacturers.

The board rooms Of the Trunk-line Asso-
terday with hundred Western shippers,
who were there to confer with the Grand
Trunk line executive committee and the
classification committee, and TO present
their respective grievances against the new
freight-rate schedule, which went into ef-
feet on Jan last Chairman GODDARD. of
the Trunk-line executive committee, called
the meeting to order, saying they would be
glad to hear all complaints that any one
present had to make. William r. Corwine,
representing the Merchants Association of
New York. read lengthy technical paper
reviewing the difficulties between the ship
per and railway and trunk-line companies
as existed under the present classification.
A summary OF the paper follows:
"First-We believe that the reports of
earnings made by railroads in the financial
statement, in which it is shown that they
have increased their annual dividends, and
others, for the first time in years If not I'm
their history, have declared dividends on
their common stock (the directors setting
forth that the outlook for the future is
sufficient to justify this), showing that the
railroads are earning sufficient money to
enable them to realize largely increased
future. or for as long as the present period
OF prosperity may continue. which we hope
will be indefinitely.
''Second-That the decreased cost of OPP
Grafton of railroads, as set forth in their
reports and in the reports of the Inter
state-commerce Commission. and the tend
ency to lower the cost of transportation,
rather than increase II, is sufficient to over
come claim OF the necessity for money
due at the advanced prices Of articles en-
tering into the construction and mainte-
nance of railroads, and that the reasonable
prospects of future decreased costs of op-
Grafton Of railroad properties will place
railroads in a still better position finan-
cially without any increase in freight
charges being made necessary to add to
their incomes
''Third-That the theory which has re-
suited in the widening of the difference be-
tween carload lots and less than carload
lots is wrong in that 1t lessons the area
of distribution, hurts the small shipper and
the small buyer, and should not be allowed
to stand
"Fourth-That the method of reclassify-
ing dry goods is unjust in that 1t tends to
discrimination and to complications. and
that IL 1t be found necessary thus to SIM
plify classification in these lines. instead
of the present classification standing, all
dry goods should be placed in the second
class.
'Fifth-That the new schedule works an
injustice to the shippers in practically pro-
hibiting the use of the wood-pulp packing
boxed by a large class or shippers, TO
whom they are of great benefit, and thus
adds TO the burden and expense or such
shippers, and therefore should not be al
lowed to stand.
"Sixth-That the rule of the new classifi-
cation which reads as follows: shipments
of property combined into packages by for
warding agents claiming to act as shippers
will only be accomplished when the names
of individual shippers and final consignees,
as well as the character and contents OF
H.
agents, and such property will be way
billed as separate shipments and freight
charged accordingly will work great
hardship to jobbers and packing houses
as we'll as to small merchants, and should
be rescinded altogether"
F. G. Lanley then filed a schedule OF
complaints against classification No. 2, rel
alive to carload and less than carload lots
trade and that they did not object to the
increase of rates, providing they were made
uniform AS it was, the less than carload
classification took from the local 1oDbing
trade a heretofore profitable territory.
Representatives of various industries
were heard. Hugh r. Knox, OF the Ma
tional Starch Company. endeavored TO
show that if the present schedule We're
permitted TO continue the result would De
to drive the starch industry west of the
Mississippi river, as the Eastern maker,
under existing classification, could not
compete with the manufactures In the
previous Mr.. Knox thought about equit-
able.
c. M. Stacy. of the Huyler Candy Com
pany said that under the present schedule
chocolate had been listed at zo'gOo pounds
per carload and cocoa at 3O,OOO There was
no buyer in the United States. said he,
that used a car of either, save the makers
when shipping ii to one OF their distrip,
uting points. He asked that both be listed
the same and that mixed carloads could
be shipped, as there were customers VINO
ordered occasionally half carload OF
| each.
r. III. Moses. of the wholesale candy
makers. declared that under the schedule
| the railways will soon find that instead
| of hauling the manufactured article at
reasonably high rates. they will get no
business other than the hauling or the
raw material-sugar and glucoSe-that, too,
| in carload lots. The manufactured arti-
| Gle was always shipped in less than car
| lots and the present classification would
drive the business into the hands of local
| makers
]. A. Leville and ]. B. Sellers told of
| the difficulties which confronted the
makers of farming implements and urged a
freturn of the schedule of 1899
The committee next listened to reports
| of the oil refihers of Philadelphia and Bal
| timore, who asked that the original clas-
| sification be restored +. 5. Brown, who
| STYLED himself IAN individual shipper" OF
| Cleveland. told of the competition he met
/ with in the West through the Standard
/ Oil Company, and he endeavored to show
| the committee that under the new sched-
ule they were but adding to his burdens
| by making classifications in favor OF the
| carload shipper and thus discriminating
] against the small merchant. AT this
| iuucture an adjournment was taken until
| tomorrow, when the committee will listen
4 10 further complaints, there being proDably
| half a hundred yet TO be heard.
1