The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-29
INJUSTICE TO SHIPPERS.
Mr. Sanders Points Out Difficulties of Collect.
ing Small Claims.

Ing Smau claims.
To the Editor: Please pardon me for
asking for more space in your paper.
Must we continue to submit TO loss OF
time and money on account of lack of
duty, neglect and careleSsness on the
part of the railroads? 1t seems that no
notice has been taken of my pleadings
for justice. An article in the paper. so
far as l know, is far from a settlement
Soon after this shipment reached desti-
nation | presented freight bill to divis-
ion freight office of Southern Railroad
here and asked them kindly to take the
matter up and have this over charge
refunded to me. This agent refused to
take the freight bill, but said he would
write to another agent of the Southern,
Mr. Lamb at Primers Point, and have
him refund to me this amount at once.
Thirty days or more elapsed before l
heard anything from this claim. Then
| was asked on what date this shipment
was made from Wilkeboro and here |
desire to ask this agent why he did not
get all the necessary information from
me when ] tried to put in this claim.
Now it seems that the whole object of the
Southern Railroad Company or its agents
is to delay the payment of small claims
and make unreasonable excuses until the
shipper becomes so worried and dis
gusted that they drop the matter and
give up the amount to the railroad com
pany. After all this worry and patient
waiting for sixty days. hoping that the
claim would be paid before now. the
Southern Railroad Company comes at
me again asking me to present an en-
tirely different case by which / might
collect this small amount. The follow
ing is a letter received by me. signed
Geo G.. Thompson, Jr., d. F. A: Re
ferring TO the oyerchaTge on shipment
dried fruit from Wilkesboro to Elizabeth
City. \. c., l am advised by our agent
at Wilkesboro that he has written you
requesting expense bill so that he can
make you the necessary refund. He
states that up to the present time he
has heard nothing from you. Will you
please mail him the expense bill in order
that he may make you this refund as
early as possible?
l have received nothing-not a line
from this Wlkesboro agent-and have
no idea that he has written me on this
subject. Just think for moment how
unbusiness- like and how unjust it is for
Mr.. Thompson or his clerk to refuse this
freight bill when I presented it to him,
almost sixty days ago, and now writes
me such a letter as the above. In my
judgment it is simply nothing more or
less than to keep from paying a just
claim.
Is there no law by which we can col
lect that which is justly due us by the
railroads? Or must We wait until they
see fit to pay or until the worry becomes
so unpleasant that We give up small
claims which are Justly due us?
Some months ago 1 received a crate of
eggs from Princeton, ". c.. six dozen
broken.
I tried TO put in claim with the
Southern agent here for the amount,
99c, which he accepted, but day or two
later he wrote and requested me to send
him original freight bill with proof that
the eggs were broken on their line? Just
think for a moment, can any good bust
ness man see any reason why this agent
should ask me for that which originated
in his office, copy of which he must
have. and all the necessary papers in
this case? What was the result of this
claim? ! wrote this agent saying: Life
is toe short to be worried and put to so
much trouble for g9c.. and if l could not
collect the amount without all this red
tape l would give it up. Consequently
| have heard nothing more from the
claim which was put in about six months
ago This is the way we are compelled
to give up to the transportation COM
panies small claims, from the simple
! fact that the worry and annoyance of
| trying to collect them over balances the
amount.
| have a letter before me. dated Dunn.
! n. c., June 18th, which reads as follows:
| viii you please trace two half barrels
! fish shipped us from Edenton, n. c., May
! 18th Our agent here has way bill, but
| the fish check short
| l desire to ask this agent if he has
made any effort to get these fish through.
! Has he done his duty in this matter?
! This is a sample of how almost every
shipper has to suffer.
What are the Corporation Commits
sioners doing? Looking after taxes, |
believe, is about all In a previous
article / asked the Corporation Com
missioncrs several questions, which are
legitimate business questions, and as a
taxpayer and voter. l think | am en-
| titled to answers, and again l ask them,
why is it that the same article from
| EdCnt0n, N. -, 10 WILSON, Mills. ~ -,
is ACC. and to Raleigh, n. c., 36c.?
! | have no i'll feeling towards any one,
personally, but simply wish to know if
| it is the duty of the Corporation Com
mission to adjust freight rates and see
that small. just claims are paid to
| shipper by transportation companies, or
| must we continue to suffer on account
of shipments which are on the roads
weeks and sometimes months, when they
should go through to destination in from
| two to three days.
| The time has come when patience has
| ceased to be virtue, and let me assure
YOU we will look to our next Legisla
| ture for some protection in these mat
| ters 1T is the small things that arc
| giving us trouble now, such as the
| transportation companies think we will
| give IN rather than be worried and an
noyed over for months trying to collect
| them.
! ! ask our Corporation Commission. is
| it law or justice for the Southern Rail-
road to pay claims for one shipper when