The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-08-06
ENTER COMPLAINT
AGAINST RATE ON
CERTAIN FREIGHT
Richmond Vehicle Manufacture
ers Have Sought Aid of the
Commercial Club in an Ef-
fort to Escape Injustice.
CLASSIFICATION WRONG
is THEIR CONTENTION.
As a Result the Manufacturers
Are Prevented From Com
peting on an Equal Basis in
Certain Territory.

Richmond vehicle manufacturers,
through the Commercial club. have ia
ken up the fight for new classified
ton of freight rates on quantities of
ent time the rate for buggies is deter
mined by the size of the crate used in
shipping and not the weight as would
ordinarily be thought. the crates
should they be more than "a inches
In length, fall in an advanced rate
class and probably although by %
inches, or an inch more than the regu-
iation size. the railroad will charge a
double rate for the transportation of
the contents Should the crate be more
than thirty inches high, the railroads
are charging triple prices for It's
transportation Local buggy manu-
facturers claim that the rate is unjust,
as do all the buggy manufacturers in
that territory affected by the Central
freight associations rure.
By. this increased charge it is impos-
sible for the buggy manufacturers to
compete in territory which the local
companies have to reach by small ship
ments The absurd rule which often
times requires triple freight rate, is
keeping many of the companies in Indi-
ana from competing in states outside
the jurisdiction of the Central freight
association. AT the present time,
spring wagons and large Surveys,
which require a crate of more than
9Sx3OxJefeet, the regulation size eligi-
BILE for a single freight rate, are being
sent by express, as the express rates
are cheaper, but still are much higher
than the freight rates would be if they
were adjusted to the proper scale.
Views of Manufacturers.
A local buggy manufacturer said:
I'VE know of no reason why spring
wagon weighing 500 pounds, requiring
approximately 1O2 cubic feet of space,
should take the same rating as an ex
tension top s,trry. weighing $50 pounds
and requiring 1913 cubic feet of space
in box car For example-at the
rate of 81 90 per cwt. freight on spring
wagons, which occupy much less space
in a car than a surrey, would require
fifty cents more than the regular
freight charges on the surrey. Neltner
of the other freight associations in this
country charge the excessive and I'M
Just rates"
In order to evade the unjust ruling,
local manufacturers in many instanc-
es have shipped the buggy beds in one
crate on one day and on the next ship
ped the wheels to the vehicle.
The manufacturers through the Com
mercial club. will petition the official
classification committee to change the
present ruling. According to reports
reaching Richmond the other vehicle
manufacturers in adjoining states,
which fall under the Jurisdiction OF
the Central freight association, will do
likewise The indianapolis Freight
bureau, of which the local Commercial
club is a member, is also doing every
thing in it's power to alleviate condi-
tions. and it is probable that the fight
against the railroads unjust rate will
be waged so strongly that it will event
ually be changed and a just and fair
rate installed.