Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-18
ADOPT UNIFORM
DEMURRAGE CODE
48-HOUR FREE TIME RULE Is
PASSED BY RAILROAD MEN
FRANKLIN K. LANE HEADS CON-
MITTEE THAT MAKES REPORT
Shippers Also Make Outline OF the
Policy Essential for the Just
Management of Rail-
roads
tBy Associated Press ]


WASHINGTON Nov, 17.-Despite
and the failure to embody a ''reci-
procal demurrage rule" the convention
OF the National Association of Rail-
road Commissioners today adopted a
uniform code of demurrage rules ap-
plicable alike to state and interstate
transportation.
This code was incorporated In re-
port of a committee headed by Com
missioner Lane Of the interstate COM
merce commission. Instead of allow
ing only forty eight hours free time for
loading or unloading cars, with all
commodities, as recommended by
majority of the special committee, the
three minority members reported in
favor of seventy-two hours on cars
containing more than $4,000 pounds.
w. p. Hill, chairman of the Massa-
chusetts commission, said that the
custom in the six New England states
was to allow ninety-six hours free
time, and he asked that the associa-
ton go slow in recommending forty
eight hours only. To this Commission
er Lane said that while Mr.. Hall had
been member of the committee which
drafted the report, he had never at
tended a meeting.
r. II. Burrow of Florida contended
that states should be left to fix the
length of free time without interfer-
ence.
One of the most determined advo-
Gates of the limitation to forty-eight
hours was c. +. Staples of Minnesota.
Il have often wondered why our
farmers could not get cars in which
to ship their grain said he. II have
now found that II was because you
fellows in New England and in Florida
were keeping them ninety-six hours for
unloading"
In supporting a reciprocal demurrage
amendment, Chairman II. X. Prentiss
of the Virginia commission said that
the big shipper could get cars on ac-
count of the volume OF his business,
but that it was the little shipper that
needed protection.
II. ID. Loveland of California said
that the people of his state were ready
to repeat their reciprocal demurrage
law, although 1t had been in operation
only eight months. In spite of all ar
guments, however, the report Of the
committee was adopted by a vote OF
30 to 10.
The shippers point of view of trans
pOrtatlOn problems was la1d before the
convention at its session today. This
task has been assigned TO ]. c. Lin
coin OF the traffic bureau of the DIer-
chants exchange of st. Louis, who
addressed the convention. Here are
some of the amendments of the laws
and of railroad rules and regulations
which he said were required by ship
ping interests:
Giving TO the interstate commerce
commission the power of temporary
injunction over proposed increases in
rates.
Giving to shippers the right of rout-
ing.
Making the giving Of erroneous quo
tations of rates by carriers agents a
misdemeanor.
Giving the power to some body to
award damages to shippers as a re-
suit of such errors.
Enactment of a law allowing car
riers to meet and confer as to tariffs,
rates ana regulations without Violat-
ing the laws of the land.
Creation of a special court to have
exclusive and final jurisdiction over
questions arising from the orders of
the interstate commerce commission,
except in such instances where con-
stitutional questions would necessitate
an appeal to the supreme court of the
United States.