The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-19

car The effort today is to keep the
cars moving"
Senator Brown: rs it fair to charge
shipper demurrago when you have kept
him waiting for two weeKs?"
Emerson; 1T sounds unreasonable,
but the Car Association has benefited
shippers"
Senator Brown: "a shipper orders a
car. He don't get it. If you have failed
TO move freight don't you think he ought
TO have some redress"
Mr. Emerson: He can get actual dam
ages in the courts"
Senator Brown: "Is it right to make a
man go to the Supreme Court to col
lect few dollars?"
Mr.. Emerson: How will you remedy
it? We wish only what is reasonable
and just"
Senator Brown; Prescribe some pen
alties that Will do it
Mr.. W. r. Wearn, of Charlotte:
I'm the lumber business thirteen years,
We do not ask to repeal demurrage
charges, but we wish railroads to treat
us as we treat the railroads. There is
a similar law in Georgia as the one We
favor. Cars Of lumber after being load
ed within t00 miles from Charlotte for
the past three years require from six
to nineteen days to Charlotte They
could be brought within one day. Cor
respondence was read showing freight
Inconvenience and loss. Sometimes it is
held for three weeks. lie wrote to s.
a. l.. superintendent for relief and could
not get cars. While we could not get
cars By special arrangement others got
them"
Mr.. w. j. Chambers, merchant of Char
lotte, said that his concern had a great
deal Of trouble; FIVE or six cars stood in
the yard eight or ten days, couldn't get
to them. Lost a good deal of our bust
ness because Of this.
Brown. IF you lost a customer, could
you show exactly how you were dam
aged?"
Chambers: 1T could not be done we'll"
Chairman Justice; you could not re-
cover on prospective sales"
Chambers: Cars with our groceries
and stuff is held for many days and it
works hardship on US.
Wellborn Il have a MILL must
grind corn as it comes in. Why shouldn't
railroads be forced to do lkewlse?"
Mr.. J. W. Lewis, J. II. Wellington, r.
K. Wolff and other prominent Charlotte
business men gave in experience like
that of Mr. McNich and others.
Brown. These troubles are very gen
eral. | lost last year $3.50 because l sent
mon off to do loading at q place where
the cars were TO be, but couldn't get
cars. Had orders cancelled upon me. [
believe the demurrage charge ought to
stand. Railroads have had two years
to build cars. Have known cars to stand
on side track three days. If the rail
roads charge demurrage, the law ought
to act the other way. Thousands of
shippers arc Inconvenience and almost
paralyzed"
ExMayor Wellington gave a clear
statement of the difficulties He said
the secret of the lack of cars was often
due to the fact that the railroads try
to handle through business and compel
the local folks to suffer in order to do
this. Business men do not wish the
worry, cost and trouble of going to court.
Mr. Wellington read telegram from
Ada Manufacturing Company, of Char
lotte: "A rush order of yarn. loaded on
Friday. lid not leave on Southern Rail-
way until Wednesday. Three requests
to move cars were not noticed"
kilograms from the North Carolina
Milling Association, r. Z. Nooc, prcsi-
dent: Hickory Furniture Company. Mar
tin Furniture Company, Newton Cotton
Mills. Piedmont Wagon Company, Hutton
& Bourbonnois Hickory, and other lead
ing manufacturers and shippers, were
read asking for this legislation.
We do not wish anything unreasonable
continued Mr. Wellington If the rail-
reads charge demurrage for not unload
ing. let them pay us for the delay.
Mr.. Miller: THE Corporation Com
mission has in effect put their seal of
approval on the Car Service rules and
they have the power. No objection TO
Commission making demurrage rules and
regulations. but we oppose the fixing IF
the time limit for freight in transit. He
argued against it, there should be
no hide-bound rule Leave that 10 the
railroads The Commission has no pow
or to fix time limits on freight in traa-
sit"
Brown Il was told by a railroad man
that they charged connecting lines 800
a day for cars
Chairman Justice "As | understand
i, now the railroads now, without rules
ar regulations by the State. fix the time
limits when they snail carry freight and