Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-10-16
ASKS UNIFORM
DtMURRAGE LAWS
Says Conflicting Regulations Of
Various States Cause Trouble
and May Result In National
Laws to Change
Conditions.

Washington. D. c.. Oct. 1s.-Adop-
ton of car service and demurrage
laws that will be uniform In all states
of the union Is the recommendation
carried in the report of the commit
tee on car distribution and car short
age presented by Franklin X. Lane,
member of the interstate commerce
commission, at the meeting of the
state railroad commissioners held
here. Commissioner Lane has made
study of this question extending
over a period of several years, which
included the time of the serious car
shortage in all sections of the coun-
try In the winter of 190s-07, and is,
therefore, probably the man best
qualified to speak on this subject
from an unprejudiced point of view.
"State authorities have no jurisdic-
tion over the demurrage or free time
upon interstate shipments" Mr.. Lane
says. They have full jurisdiction,
however, over demurrage and free
time upon purely intrastate ship
ments. This division of Jurisdiction
over what is practically one mass of
equipment will be disadvantageous to
both carriers and shippers unless the
rules for Interstate demurrage and
intrastate free time are made har-
iuen'pus. and are framed with a view
not to securing free storage time for
shippers. but to securing the largest
possible use Of railroad equipment as
means of transportation.
1T is evident that the public in
terest requires that car service rules
throughout the North American con-
tinent should be harmonious, and un-
der like conditions absolutely uni
form. The entire body of railroad
equipment is part of practically one
system Of transportation. Especially
Is this true of freight cars.
For years an agitation has been
carried on to secure the pooling of
freight cars by American railways.
During the agitation it developed that
the cars actually are pooled in prac-
tice, cars moving from road to road
freely and railways using cars upon
their rails regardless of their owner
ship.
"As the body of freight car equip
ment is practically a unit the system
OF rules governing its use should be
free from conflict. 1t is evident that
local regulation of this subject must
have in mind the general good, or To-
cal regulation will find itself compell-
ed to yield to national regulation.
Good faith and intelligence on the
part OF local regulative bodies will
secure uniformity Of car service rules
without any shift ng of jurisdiction"
Commissioner Lane then points out
the necessity of a concerted movement
for uniformity of car service and de-
murrage by calling attention to the
fact that twenty-five states enacted
car service laws following the car
shortage of 19061. Twenty states
provided for reciprocal demurrage,
but their laws differed widely. and in
one state, Texas, the law was so radl-
cal that it has since been declared
unconstitutional.
Discussing the question OF car
supply and the effect on that sup
ply in days OF shortage, Mr.. Lane
says: "a careful study of the car
shortage Of 1906-7 showed that on
a great many systems there was an
inadequate use of the cars in hand.
This failure to use properly equip
ment in hand was due to inadequate
motive power, to insufficient termin-
ais and to bad operating methods,
and also to the action Of the ship
pers In using cars for storehouses
and thus Withholding them from
their true function as means OF trans
portation.
"a striking phenomenon OF Ameri-
can railroads at times of car short
age Is that the daily mileage of
freight cars Immediately decreases
that is to say. as soon as efficiency
in the use Of freight cars is most
needed the cars begin to do less work
a day. The causes OF this phenome-
non are numerous and interrelated.
Railroad managers correctly say that
insufficient terminals lack OF pass
ing tracks and lack OF motive power
are responsible for the failure of
cars TO keep moving.
"As one railroad manager put II
no more water can go through
hose than can escape through the
nozzle. Cars that move, he says, must
move through terminals, and when
the terminals are congested or block
ed the effect reaches every train on
the system"
Mr.. Lane says this Is true, but 1t
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