The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-01-12
Rig pine Tackles the ksaitro'ss'
Commission.

Commission.
Ration Rouge. La, Jan. 2-Secre-
80 parrow. of the Louisiana Rail
road commission. left to-day for New
orleans to get everything In readi-
n.ss for the meeting of the Commits
sion. which begins in that city Oh
Ian 3. at 10 O'Clock at the st. Char'es
Hotel. This meetingis called ior t"e
nurpose of considering the petition
az the lumber mills OF Louisiana rel
ative to the weights to he applied Oh
sbipments OF lumber where no 1rach
SCALES have been provided, ana other
matters covered in the petition OF
the lumber mills of the State. Inns
meeting will he attended by d. o.
Meredith. the new Railroad COmm's-
steiner from the Third District. VINO
succeeded W. l.. Foster. 1t VIII ue
MIR. Meredith's first meeting. FOR
lowing is the petition OF the inmoer
mills, setting forth clearly all Oh 'ne
uuest,ons that will come up before
the meeting on Jan. 3:
Tb.. Honorable Railroad Commits
sion of Louisiana, Baton Rouge LII
conference.-the undersigned manu-
facturers of yellow pine lumber so''c-
,,s vour consideration Of our trou-
,,les with the carriers, and petitioh
van I'm promulgate such instructions
as will free us from the disabilities
from which we now suffer; believing
that equity and Justice demand your
honorable body to give us RELIEF.
Ftrst-A. 1t In the general custom
throughout the United States 10 sci
yellow pine lumber at points OF deS
tiuation. manufacturers using TN
freight rates published by the CARR
ars and n table of weights OF 80 mncl
per l 900 feet Of lumber. which expe
r,ence and repeated tests have prov
en- the fairness Of.
Il. Carriers now Disregard thes
weights, changing them to figure
obtained by alleged track scale weigh
ings ut junction points or divisio
points, where men attend to Tn
SCALES only. using the tares whic
have been stenciled on the SIDES
the cars when they were built. MOI
ar less years previously, which al
uotoriously incorrect, because Oh u
wood absorbing oil, wet. dust. etc
during the years Of usage. ana D
cause In many instances the san
ears have been repaired with dine
ent material and heavier rigg'n
without the stenciled tares havir
t,een changed. So notorious Is tn
that some of the carriers have hs
books printed for the use OF their Ell
ployes, showing the latest tares i
their vehicles.
C. And in rainy weather no allo'
ance ia made by these weighmen
Increased tare weights. hence ov'
weights are arbitrariaily applied u
on the loads In the cars.
ID. Also good portion OF lumr
shipped from mills In the State
I.ouis,ana IL carried In stock ca
which have not been cleaned, WI
the animal deposits hardened. a
naked between the foOtboards. viii
it would be impossible to reno
without the use of sharp instrumen
this affects the tares Of these cars.
E. And large portion OF inm'
ia carried In coal cars. which ia
not been cleaned, and as large p
portion still In fiat carr which ne
l,eeu used for ballast movement. w
more or less Of the gravel left on
floors. which also affects the az
weight Of the car.
acknowledgements OF lumber c
ried In gondola and fiat cars. 9
piled to the mills by the carriers
many cases through lack OF availa
closed cars, are rained ON betw
the mills and track scales. The VI
ed States Weather Bureau repG
that the average rainfall In Lot
ana amounts to 5.6l inches
month. The carriers do not n
make allowance for rain which
fallen on lumber moved In open G.
although prior to May 4. 1906, u
recently, the allowance was redr
to 500 pounds per car In spite OF
test of shippers. Now this all
ance has been retired; shippers b
to pay freight on rain. for which
are not responsible.
1t would satisfy your petition
the Honorable Railroad Commits
,a ~-<ax,. <,,.t on all shinm