The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-02
OREGON TIRED OF DELAY.
VIII Enact a Reciprocal Demurrage
Law to Stop Car Shortage.


Kansas will in all probability enact a
now reciprocal demurrage law at the
coming session of the legislature for
thee purpose Of Inducing railroad COM
panies to make more extensive provi-
sion for taking care of the car short
age. The same sort of law is being
advocated for the state of Oregon The
following story about the Oregon sit
uation is from Golfers Weekly:
From cities, towns and villages.
from farms, factories, ranches ana
mountains, poured forth recently an
Eugene, center of the famed Villa
mette valley, rich province in the king
dom of E. H. Hartman. There were
enen of labor'S stamp, men of miners
garb, men of weH-groomed mien from
Portland, men of every shade of poll
teal belief.
Hotels were filed; citizens opened
their homes. The little city on the
banks of the Willamette was for the
time the center of a propaganda
which bodies discomfort for the rail-
road usurpers of industrial power.
1--WE want cars in which to haul our
products to MARKET cried the first
speaker in the mass meeting.
The applause was deafening: that
was the keynote of the gathering.
A legislative program was outlined,
and all newspapers of the state print
ed it with commentator. That pro-
gram is the expression of an outraged
people It will be carried through in
January when the assembly meets at
the state capital. These are the num-
bers billed for the assembly perfor-
nance: h..s
Act One-A reciprocal demurrage
bill. Act Two-A maximum rate BILL
Act Three-A railroad commission.
Railroad commissions are we'll
known and. often tried expedients In
many states; rate bills have become
familiar In commonwealth and nation
al legislation. But the reciprocal de-
murrage 1aw-that is what meets the
exigencfes of the situation and may
end the car shortage and accelerate
railroad kings.
I What is reciprocal demurrage? 1t is
the peoples big Stick" with which in
that state the railroads will be COM
PEELED to. supply cars when needed. or
pay given sum as penalty each day
during which they delay in doing so.
For years 1t has been the universal
custom for ali railroads to charge de-
murrage. to slippers-when a car is
asked for end switched to certain
mill, and. the shipper fails to load 1t In
the following twenty-four hours, there
is a charge CT, say, So for each day
in which the car stands on the side
track uilloaded. 1t is rule against
which shippers have not rebelled; for
it is manifestly just and protects the
busy railroa d. from the occasional neg
ligence of careless shippers.
Immense sums have been thus col
lected from the manufacturers and
grain dealers and others who ship in
car lots. It is proposed now in Oregon
to make this excellent rule work both
ways. App7y8.it to both shipper and
TRANSPORTATION company. In January a
law will be passed-and the bill therefor
will not rest. long in the desk of any
committee chairman, either-for re-
-ciprocal dernurrage. the car shortage
will then beat an end. The request
of the shipper for a car will be a COM
rnand for q carr for every day in which
the car is not supplied after the first
"a hours the railroad must pay the
shipper SO.
On the other hand, the. bringing of a
car to the siding of the. factory and
the notification of the shipper that it
is ready for his uses will be the means
of extracting from that shippers pocket
$40 for every day in. which he fails to
load it, after the first "a hours.
Why have not the roads supplied cars
for the eoods of the. factories and the
farms? The answers might be various.
The business men Of the west-for Ore
gon Is not alone in its revolution; other
reciprocal demurrage bills will be pass
ed this winter-have discovered that Mr..