Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-20
GRAIN MEN HIT BILL OF LADINe
Glarins Faults in New System De-
cIares CHICAGO Board of Trade.

cIares Chicago Board Of Trade.
Chicago, Aug. 19.-The new uniform
bill of lading formulated by the inter-
state commerce commission for adop-
ton on Nov. has aroused considerable
opposition among the grain interests.
who see in many of it's provisions fea-
lures which are declared inimical to
their welfare.
The transportation department of the
Chicago board of trade is taking the
initiative in a movement to obtain
amendments to the bill, and grain eN-
changes and commercial organizations
of the country have taken it up. The
personal expression of protest thus far
is seen in call issued by j. G. Lin
coin, president of the National Indus
trial Traffic league, for a meeting in
st. Louis on Sept. IA to consider what
steps are to be taken in the matter.
and all exchanges not members of the
league will be invited to send repre-
sentatives.
Where the Bill Fails.
w. II. Hopkins, manager of the trans
portation department of the Chicago
board of trade, in addressing grain
exchanges of the country, says:
Section /, page 353, relieves the
railway company from liability for loss
or differences in the weights of grain
or seeds caused by natural shrinkage
or discrepancy in elevator weights.
Most of the western railways and east
ern railways operating in the so-called
central freight association territory do
not make any arbitrary deduction for
so-called natural shrinkage in the set
territory invariably do make a deduc-
ton of one-quarter of one per cent We
believe that NO deduction whatever
should be made and that claims for
loss in weight of grain in transit
should be settled on their merits, and
we believe that upon proper represent
alton the railways will adopt this
as several prominent lines
have already done, and therefore, we
think that this feature in the bill Of
lading is Objectionable.
Neither do we think that the liza
bility for loss by reason of discrep-
belongs to the owners of the grain, but
is the proper hazard of the carrier
The law of the state of Illinois guar
antees to the owner of grain delivery
of the same amount as was loaded into
car.
Section 3. page 354, provides that
claims for loss, demurrage or delay
must be made to the carrier at the
point of delivery or at the point of
origin within four months after de-
livery of the property, ETC., and unless
claims are so made the carrier shall
not be liable.
ut might not be practicable to
make a claim at the point of delivery
or origin. A grain dealer in Philadel-
pfia purchasing a carload of grain in
Chicago and selling the same in New
England would, under this section, be
required to make his claim either at
the initial point, Chicago, or at the de-
livering point in New England. Natur-
ally he would prefer to do business
with the representative in Philadelphia
of the railway that carried the prop
erty and who, perhaps, was actively
interested in soliciting the business
and to whom the claim naturally would
be presented. 1T might also be lmpos-
sible to secure all papers necessary
for the presentation of the claim
within four months. In any event, your
right to present a, claim at any time
should be Limited only by law.
Section 4 further provides that grain
in bulk consigned to point where
there is public warehouse may be
delivered to such warehouse and moth
ing is provided therein for notice oS
the arrival of such grain or the time
that it will be held subject to DISPOSE
ton before it is placed in the public
warehouse.
THE obligation of the carrier would
clearly seem to be to transport tbs
property to the usual place of de-
livery and to notify the owner on ar
rival, but no provision for notice seems
to have been made in this section
Mr. Hopkins has received from F..
e. Marshall, secretary of the Philadel-
phia Commercial Exchange, a copy of
resolutions passed by the directors Of
the Philadelphia exchange which state
practically the same objections as
those made by Mr. Hopkins.