Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-02-03
NEW REGULATIONS
WITH DRAWBACKS
RAILROADS CANNOT FURNISH
HELP IN TRANSFER OF
CARLOAD LOTS
BIG ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO
LARGE DEALERS IN
voLVED.


pears not to have been realized as
yet by the public in general, has re-
Gently been effected in the regulations
which govern the consignment and
reception of bulk freight throughout
the greater section of the country.
Il embodies the removal Of the option
heretofore applicable, whereby the
railroad might or might not. as they
saw fit furnish help to consignees
and consignors OF freight in the trans
fers o. heavy commodities TO and
from cars, so that they can no longer
do so. In ether words, up TO January
!, it was optional with the railroads
whether or not they should allow the
use of freight depots as clearing
houses Tor freight shipped in lots of
a carload or more. The roads were
in the habit of giving shippers the
benefit of this option, whereas now
they are not allowed to do so. Local
concerns who handle their freight in
carload lots assert that this change is
working a hardship among the large
patrons OF the freight depots.
The new regulation is made by the
official classification committee and is
adopted under the sanction of the in
terstate commerce commission 1t is
included in the latest draft of the Of
fetal classification which governs
tht dealings OF all the important
freight-handling railroads in the
country From time to time this Of
fetal classification committee, made
up of representatives of the different
trunk lines, gets together to revise
the regulations and to make changes
believed by them to be demanded by
changing conditions. After one of
these sessions, ID. o. Ives, who is
chain man of the official classification
committee, files with the interstate
commerce commission any changes
that the classification committee
deems worthy of recommendation
and if these are sanctioned by the
commission they are put into effect
at once.
This new regulation is result OF
the most recent session of the classi-
fication committee. Up to January
consigners of freight in carload lots
could transfer their freight to the
freight depot. whence it was placed
BOARD the cars by the freight COM
pany. employing their own help in so
doing. The same was formerly true
of freight which was received at the
freight depots by way OF the rail-
roads. A carload or more of freight
would come in consigned to a certain
dealer 1t would be unloaded by the
employees of the freight depot and
would be carried away by the con-
signee at his expense This was also
true and still is for freight in less
than carload lots.
How New Regulation Operates.
The short time which this new regu-
lation has been in effect has not al
lowed the general public to discover
the hardship which it is claimed will
be worked on the shipper. Those.
however, who have had occasion to
hire more help in the handling of
their freight can foresee what the
change will bring about 1t is the
claim of the railroad officials that
the rate granted shippers on lots of q
carload or more offsets the increased
cost of handling to the shipper. For
instance. basing the rating on a COM
| modify Of the fifth class. the rate on
I ~ mi XII
cents per 100 pounds to certain
point. while the rate of shipments of
freight of the same class in less than
carload lots would be four or five
cents more per 100 pounds. There
are six different classes of freight,
and the rates charged vary accord
! ingly
While the freight people make the
claim that the shipper who ships in
carload lots gets enough reduction to
nav for the increased cost of hand.
| ling. the receivers and senders OF
freight who have noted the difference
since January ! say that the rates
granted do not Offset the increased
cost inasmueh as the rate was in eff
feet before the change in the regula'
tions was made at the beginning OF
the present year One of the larger
trucking men OF Chicago said tina
since January / TIE removal of the OPP
/ ton has cost hi:G anywhere from SO
to S35 "a aav for increased labor.
Whereas heretofore the uuc6men
have enjoyed the aid OF freight depot
employees in the transfer Of carload
lots of freight now they are forced 10
do all Of the work themselves. which
means that the head OF the truck. ng
concern must hire more men. pay ont
more money. ana sequently char &c
Sis patrons more for his work.
Now The railroads may run car
load OF freight into the yard and leave
* there to be unloaded by the con
slguee. II there IS only a part OF a
carload they are obliged as before to
TRANSIT, {, through The medium Of the
freight depot Tguckmon state that it
does NOT pas to hire extra regular
men 10 dc this work and that the
men whom they can hire are Tor the
most part loafers who cannot be de-
pended upon to stay with them be
yond the time when they have earned