The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-12-12

entation, and unnecessary delay in set clement of claims.
 We suggest that all freight claims, and all correspondence pertaining to them, be sent direct to MT. G. L. Win lock, our assistant general freight | agent, at Boston, who has charge of these particular matters, and he will upon receipt of freight claims, send to the claimant our official number, so that he can register it and refer to it when further correspondence Is nec- essary. We would be glad to have our | attention called to any seeming need less delays in connection with the set tlement of freight claims.
 4. Unreasonable delay in locating and delivering strayed freight"
 think you clearly understood at the conference that by reason of the ship pers not properly marking their pack i ages, and also giving us shipments with morethan one mark, they are con tributing very largely to these delays, also contributing to freight going as tray, and, when found, the inability to forward it to its proper destination; and if the members of your association will undertake to properly mark freight we will undertake to bring about an improvement on our part so that conn plaints of this nature will be reduced to minimum.
 5. Inadequate freight houses, plat form and yard accommodations.
 This, you will recall, developed on ac- count of consignees not removing thei freight promptly in many cases and at many points after it had arrived, ant it is our belief that the prompt remova of freight after arrival will remove l very large percentage of the complaint of inadequate freight house facilities We, however, are prepared, and a many points are increasing our freigh house facilities, where same seems to be a necessity.
 6. Lack of switch engine service.'
 Owing to the indefinite nature of this complaint we naturally could not am swer the complaint intelltgently, but, as I understand, you are to communicate with General Superintendent O. M. Shepard giving him locations where lack of switch engine service exists, and he will undertake to remedy the matte..
 [. Delay in procuring cars for ship ment"
 It was pointed out that the prompt 1 unloading of cars would result in the prompt furnishing of empty cars, and that while all railroads in all portions of the country were offered more traf- fic than they could supply empty cars to accommodate, at the same time the prompt unloading of equipment would relieyethis pressure to very great ex- tent, and while we could not offer any I immediate relief beyond the above at the same time the company has pur- chased and will continue to purchase a very large amount of freight car equip ment in which to take care of the bust I ness In our territory.
 8. Excessive transfer charges" 1 I think it was demonstrated to the satisfaction of your committee that the present switching Cransfer) charges are established uniformly and with a view to avoiding discrimination, and that the road earning these switching charges in reality gets very small compensa- tion for the work which 1t performs, and the facilities which 1t furnishes.
 g. Lack of freight car facilities.
 The subject treated of in section g is covered by reply to section 2.
 10. Lack of opportunity to attend fairly to perishable goods.
 It being claimed that perishable 1 freight is not always placed promptly i for delivery after arrival, the general superintendent will take immediate steps to correct complaints of that na- ture, and we would be very glad to have any shipper adivse us promptly of the failure upon the part of an agent of this company to promptly place per ishable freight accessible to the con- signee.
 il, Uncertainty in delivery caused by confusion, separation and misplacing of articles of shipment"
 It was thought quite probable that this was contributed to largely by con- signees not promptly taking their goods from our freight houses, which means a congestion and confusion, all of which could be remedied if the goods were promtply removed upon arrival. Where Inadequate facilities or lack of method is apparent to our consignees, we shall be very glad,indeed, to have them call our attention to the matter.
 With respect to the rate upon coal to Danbury; The industries at Dan bury are served by all-rail routes and routes via tidewater, and I think it was demonstrated that Danbury has as favorable rates as the surrounding ter rltory with which 1t comes in competi- ton.
 ] I desireto thank you and your com mittee for the spirit in which you pre- sented this matter to us, and the prom ise of your cooperation in bringing about improvements in the existing con ditions. We should all bear in mind that with the extremely large Increase in business throughout the country it is impossibleto handle the traffic in a. strictly Ideal manner, and great deal i of patience will be required in a good many directions until the improve ments now under contemplation are completed, and the facilities of the shipping public as well as the railroad facilities are brought up to the require jments of the additional business de- mand'
 I hope your association will feel that 1t is the desire of this company to ren-