Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-11
MUST PAY FOR STAKES
LUMBERMEN ALLEGE DISCRIM-
NATION IN RAILWAY RATES.

The National Wholesale Lumber Deal
ers' Association began an important hear
ing before the interstate commerce COM
mission today. The complaint was against
the Pennsylvania and allied lines and
against the Atlantic Coast Line and con-
Meeting roads. The basis of the COM
plant was that the railroads compelled
the Iumbermen to pay for equipping fiat
cars carrying lumber with the necessary
stakes. ties, SC, to keep the lumber in
place. The roads compelled the lumber
men TO furnish the stakes and other
equipment and then charged them freight
on the same to the amount of 500 pounds.
The shippers held that furnishing the
stakes and paying freight on them was a
part of the whole freight charges On the
lumber and constituted an unreasonable
rate, that as the permanent crates or
cages necessary to hold other articles of
commerce on fat cars were furnished by
the roads free as part of the regular
equipment there was unjust discrimina-
tion against the lumbermen on their ship
ments.
Annual Expense Considerable.
1t was regarded as an important case.
The cost to the lumbermen of stalking
a car amounted to Sc which, as the COM
plant set forth, aggregated consider
able sum per annum. Walter w. Ross ap-
tion. The Pennsylvania and a number of
otner lines were represented by G. 8. Pat
terson and C. +. Gill, chief of the classl-
ncation committee of New York. Jos. G.
Wetson appeared for the Baltimore and
Ohio, Claudian B. Northrop for the Nor
folk and Western, o. Z. Anderson for the
Louisville and Nashville and Edgar Rich
for the Boston and Maine and the New
York. New Haven and Hartford. There
We're a score of other attorneys watching
the interests of other lines and who did
not take an active part in the discussion.
1t was stated before the discussion opened
that the southern roads, since the petition
was fled, had reduced their freight charges
by 500 pounds per car so as to allow freight
on the stakes. Inc representatives of the
eastern roads then said that at meet
ing OF the freight representatives last night
they had taken similar action. This COM
pliCated the case from legal point of
view. as It left it an open question, the
roads having eliminated one of the charges
against them, whether the remaining two
counts would constitute an unjust and un-
reasonable rate" The representatives of
the eastern roads said that they had not
had time to prepare themselves on this
point and asked that the case go over.
Alleged to Be Discrimination.
The attorney for the dealers still insisted
that the regulation forcing the lumbermen
10 pay for the stakes was unreasonable
and discriminatory.
The hearing was continued into the after
noon with the prospect that it might last
another day before il decided whether
the commission would take the case under
udvIsement as it stood or require the COM
Ylainants to file a new petition.
The case of the wholesale liquor dealers
protest against the railroads advance on
carload rates was resumed yesterday aft
eruoon- Testimony having been finished,
both sides were given twenty days in which
20 file briefs.
4 charge of unjust discrimination and
undue and unreasonable prejudice in the
matter of rates on pressed glassware is
contained in petition filed today with the
Interstate commerce commission by the Fort
Smith Traffic Bureau of Fort Smith. Ark,
against a number of western railroads.