The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-02-24
Railroads ChargeDemurrage;
They Should Pay 1t.
RIGHTEOUS ANDJuST BILL
To Compel Railroads TO Transport
Freight Promptly Under Penalty.
CHARLOTTE MERCHANTS WV TIE tight
The Senate Committee on Railroads VIII Fayo..
ably Report the Excellent Bill In
roduced by Senator
Brown.

- C~it@ ~
Brown.
The Senate Committee on Railroads
held a long session yesterday afternoon
and heard an interesting discussion by
prominent business men on Senator
Pharr's bill, which ought to be entitled
AN Act Prescribing That Sauce For The
Goose Shall be Sauce For The Gander.
1t was a bill that added two sections to
the Corporation Commission act as fol-
lows:
Sec %. ITO make rules and regula-
lions governing demurrage ard storage
charges by railroad companies and other
transportation companies.
Sec. &c. ITO make rules governing
railroad companies in placing OF cars for
loading and unloading and in fixing time
limit for delivery Of freight after the
same has been received by the trans
portatton companies for shipment"
Mr.. Heriot Clar1son. Ex-Mayor Wed
dington, S. S. McNinch, w. &. Wearn. W.
j. Chambers, j. W. Lewis, ]. K. Wolf
and other prominent business men OF
Charlotte appeared before the committee
in favor of the bill. Senator Aaron. Of
!. Wayne, also spoke in favor OF it,.
Mr.. T. NJ. Emerson. of the Atlantic
Coast Line; Mr.. Henry W. Miller of the
Southern. GIenree is never absent un-
less providentially Kept ayaw). Ex-Judge
Womack for the Seaboard and 1Ir. p.
r. Albright, head of the n. G. Car Ser
vice Association. appeared against the
bill.
After long discussion. participated in
by some Of the above named gentlemen
and the members of the committee. on
motion of senator Brown the bill was
favorably reported to the Senate. It is a
righteous and just measure and viii
doubtless become a law.
Mr.. Clarkson opened in favor OF the
bill by saying that application had been
made to the Corporation Commission to
grant the relief prayed for by the bust
ness men and manufacturers of the State;
that the Commission said it lacked the
power to give tho relief demanded by
the shippers in North Carolina: that in
Georgia and South Carolina there were
statutes similar to the one
under discussion; that ii fed the shipper
and the railroad out of the same spoon:
that it was just and reasonable and
ought to become a law
Ilf. =. -. MON men, OF tifdIlOjtH. q i0Ige
dealer IL fertilizers, farm implements,
etc, said that goods in transit are often
delayed one week, three weeks. probably
one month. No dependence upon when
you may get gods. once We had cars or
the tracks at Charlotte ten DAVIS and
could not get goods. Cars with fertilizer
remained around Spencer so long that Or
ders were c"ountermanded. Business sup
pied fully one-half. Customers couldn't
get ears for two weeks.
Mr.. Miller: "Eere not these condf-
tons under abnormal circumstance
No, the habit Of railroads is TO accumu-
late cars to make a lorg haul"
Mr.. Miller: 'yVhere do you get i'm
formation that railroads hold ears to
mako up a train?"
Mir. McNinch: 4 got it from an Off
ciaI of the State OF North Carolina and
from other sources"
BIr. Emerson said that such a rule did
not exist on the Atlantic Coast Line
Mr.. Miller: Did you ever appeal 70
the commission?'
mir. McNinch: 1--WE made our com
plants to the Commission and they SAID
they did not have the powers to regulate,
That is the reason for the bill. We are
working upon demurrage laws made
ny III IaIIiCd0 citti iADL ~ tAE &J4At4A--
sion. The Commission has said they
could regulate this only il authorized by
: law"
Senator Aaron, Of Wayne; I live on
the Atlantic Coast Line, and have no
complaint OF that line. Some OF nay
neighbors complain of louness ever the
Southern. 1t takes from two to three
weeks 10 get a car load Of furniture
from High Point. It takes Ten Gays TO
get freight from Raleigh TO Mt. olive.
We get good service on the Atlantic
Coast Line. Our service over the South
ern is very bad. It is only 81 miles 10
Raleigh. Shipments come from VIII
mington within two days. 1t takes ten
days from Raleigh. Delays have been
very Troublesome. Agent at Gcldsboro
says goods are not there"
Mr.. Miller. This is because Of Inc
transfer"
Mr.. Emerson. 4 think nobody is here
to attack railroads, 5ut L remedy evils.
The first ana second sections Of the t!n
seem to be covered by the Corporation
Commission laws already IN erect. HI"
Commission already has necessary au-
thority. The Commission has unlimited
movers along the line now asked. lie
gave instances of how this law might
iniuriously affect the railroads. As 10
DELAYS in transit, he didn't sec how anv
cot of rules viii ever fix it"
senator Pritcnard: Suppose shipper
aoposits goods and they lie there, what
Temadv has he?"
emerson: He can sue for damages.
z9rj4chard: = know how il works one
- hit have never soea IL on the o+na-
s:de. The rule ought to work BON
Mr.. emerson: when we have a car
loaded. We move IL on the first freight
that passes. We do not wish to hold a