The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-06
FIGHT OF SHIPPERS
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMIs-
 SION MEETS IN CHICAGO.
Determined Effort to Prvent the Adop- tion of . HUnif0rm Bill of Lad- ing" by the Common
 Carriers.

Chicago, Dec. b.--Tno Interstate Commerce Commission convened today but adjourned for four hours. out of respect of its Chairman. M. A. Knapp of Middleton. Conn, whose wife died yesterday at Philadelphia Inquiry concerning the uniform bill of lad ing" with the representatives of 10o,- 900 shippers and officials of 300 rail- ways east of Chicago in attendance was then taken up.
 Attorneys Levy Mayer of Chicago and J. B. Daish of Washington. D. C.. representing the shippers, began their arguments to show that the adoption of the uniform bill of lading would work hardship to the shippers of the country to an extent of twenty per coennt over the present freight rates Secretary Glenn of the Illinois Manu- lecturers Association was prepared to go on the stand and say that the rail- road compe nies in their effort to es- cape liability on freight intrusted into their hands, except to profit to the ex- tent of millions of dollars.
 Tn answering the statement of attor- ney Mayer, counsel for the complain ant, attorney H. R. Russell appear ing as counsel for F. J. Firth. presi- dent of the so-called Uniform Bill of Iading Committed testified that the bnl in question was the same without any change .5lhatever as has been in use for the past ten years, except that in former years they were not uniform in size and thereby caused much con- fusion. MT. Russell declared that while 1t was unnecessary that the words Not Negotiable" should appear on the bill that 1t was unloading, still there was no intention of enforcing the twenty percent phase of 1t, and that he did not understand the contention of the complainants.
 "Is this old bill the same as the new one7' asked the Commissioner.
 Yes" replied the witness.
 Well. then, why the new one?' in quired the Commissioner.
 Merely because of the differences 1 nsize," replied attorney Russell; but will say that this new bill has been enforced as much as 1t ever will be. It was not and 1t not the intention to increase the rate. The charge is that the rate Is to De increased. but I dis claim 1t. and &g shall appear by tes- timony that I am justified in making the statement"
 President Firth of the Uniform Bill of Lading Committee. who is also presi- dent of the Erie lines, at this point rose to make a personal statement.
 The statement of the complainants attorney that this so-called 20 per cent. increase Is a speculative move on the part of the railroads Is an outrage, and I wish to protest against it," said Mir. Firth. Several years ago the uni form bill of lading committee held a meeting in Chicago and at that time we secured letters from number of bankers here. among them being Mir. Gage. formerly Secretary of the United States Treasury, that our bills of lading haa arip hn h hla, were bankable under the conditions that there Is no idea of charging an increase of twenty per cent. For ten years this was in the classification, but was never enforced and will never be used. The rates will not be advanced for we are not representing an econo- mical insurance crowd"
 President Firth was then sworn as a witness and subjected to cross exami- nation by Attorney Meyer.
 Asked what the duties of the Uniform Bill of Lading Committee consisted of, Mir Firth replied: We meet, consider and merely recommend. That is all we can do. We are appointed by the carriers in the official classified terri tory"
 Are there any members of the ship ping interests on this committee" ask ed Attorney Mayer
 No" replied the witness; "alI are representatives of the carriers"
 Would you. as president of the Erie lines, veto anything that you had agreed to as member of this commit tee?" asked Attorney Mayer.
 The witness replied that 1t depended upon the circumstances.
 At this time the hearing was ad- journed until tomorrow