The San Francisco call., 1904-07-05
THE MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT CARS.

L
its way getting used to Inconvenience to
veniences alike. quite thoughtless of the progress
what has become the science OF transportation upon
which all commerce depends. One of the most serious
distractions to the detention of freight
cars caused by those who chartered them using them
as storage warehouses by promptly unloading them
when they arrived their destination This
railroads of the Missouri River averaged eight
days, and west OF that line FIVE days per
While a shipper using standing for storage
that he paid nothing for shipper waiting
the carry his goods and subject loss by the
unjust detention of the facility he desired The
effect extended the whole commerce of the country
The railroads had auditing system by which the
location of every freight in the United States
known every day, and also the which it being
put and the of its detention if any By clearing
house system all the railroads adjusted their accounts
with each other for the of their cars but this did
prevent the abuse of their charter by the private ship
pers who used the for stationary storage Finally
sixteen years ago the Car Service Association or
gained representing all OF the railroads in the country
to enforce uniform regulations for the unloading and
of cars by shippers.
The handled at the beginning of the work of the
association numbered 100000 a year Now it is 182S-
o45, and the time Of detention has declined to about
day and half In 1908 the association handled total
OF 2o634o2o If these had been detained by
shippers for storage purposes average of FIVE days
there would have been loss in use of 14SIaoI4o days
which would have fallen only upon the railroads but
upon the commercial community AS matter of fact
the detention amounted to only 48,3oI4o4 days thus
effecting saving OF time in the of 2o634o2o cars
Of o+77S6o6 car days the old system
This has been effected by imposing charge aof ST per
day for the detention of after the expiration OF
forty-eight hours. The move more promptly
and the facilities of the have been improved bv
this greater mobility Perhaps the community would not
have known OF this increase in facilities which has en-
joyed except for suit that Just against the
Car Service Association by Coal Shippers Associa
tion OF Chicago have it declared illegal and a trust
in restraint of trade The shippers are interested IN
warehousing on the track If they hold loaded cars
an average of eight days they storage In the ae
gregate that enormous sum to the coal shin
pers but they do pass the benefit on to their Gus
toners the public would suffer from blockade of trans
portation facilities with corresponding benefit
AS the time saved last year amounted the service
OF 35o28 for each of the 800 working DAYS of the
year. 1t will be seen that the old detention
system would mean the withdrawal of that manv cars
from service entirely. This would cause car famine of
such proportions would inct great injury mon the
commerce of the country.
The Coal Shippers Association in its averments IN
the says that the power force the mobility of
freight cars by imposing detention charge of ST. per dv
be used in serious restraint of trade and therefore
IS obnoxious to the antitrust law. 1t is plain that
the power to impose such charge is in restraint of
0nf
storage Unless there is way o procure their
prompt unloading and the rolling service the
shipper can retain them indefinitely for warehouse
poses, ubjecting their and the public to great
losses and inconvenience. of equity would proh
ably say that the detention of is such restraint of
trade to warrant the used 10 prevent it. and ,
of law might we'll hold that what the Car Service
Association does should be embodied in the Interstate
commerce law If it be held that such service is oh
noxous to the antitrust law, that statute shouId he
amended in that particular
The organization OF the Car Service Association now
perhaps for the first time known the general nubc
illustrates the development of our American railya,
system, and its attempted impeachment in the courts
shows how closely law follows everything done or left
undone in vast system of transportation IT NAV
have its defects but if the country were compelled IN
resort to the crude methods has displaced the result
would be ruin and famine for millions of people
The Board of Public forks has