The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-02-19

/
in the interest of Dayton, Ohio, was
read at the meeting of the Cairo
Board Of Trade Wednesday night, by
President John s. Aisthorpe
Freight or traffic bureaus as they
are commonly designated, have as
sumed a place of great Importance IN
the industrial activity of the country.
Although differing widely in the scope
and character Of their usefulness.
each and every one, If conducted on
air and equitable basis, have been Of
'nestimable value in their respective
localities, and haye not only pre-
tented the arbitrary rulings and az
lions on the part of the carriers, but
have been Of great assistance and
benefit 10 the carriers in the settle
ment OF disputes, establishment cF
.ust rules, and other matters of like
nature, which, in the absence of such
= bureau to advise and instruct,
would have been construed in differ
itL phases " tllt SiltHIttlS.
Inquiries have often been made az
he best means of forming Freight
Bureaus in certain localities whore
hey appeared 10 be needed. and | in
,ariably use our own Traffic Bureau
Is an example. The present Traffic
Bureau is the result OF a merger Of
he Receivers and Shippers Associ-
alton. organized in 1904, with the
present Chamber Of Commerce on
Way /. 1905 A Traffic Bureau should
always stand for what Is right and
Just. no matter whether it operates
against the shipper or in his favor
and it is only in this way that the car
riers can be convinced that ii is 10
their interest to cooperate with the
bureau instead of antagonniziug It,
This spirit of unfriendliness and an
tagonism will undoubtedly exist n
the start, but it will be only a course
Of time, if the Bureau is conducted
properly. until this will be remove l.
However no Traffic Bureau can sue
2eed without the proper man for com.
missioner Usually the commissioner
has made an effort to raise his sal
airy by endeavoring to ascertain In
lust what respects he could best sup
port his constituents. but the latter,
as a rule, have been slow in giving
him specific information or data on
what to act and after trying to go II
alone" for while, perhaps in the eff
fort to have certain sectional discrim.
nations set aside or more favorable
rates granted which would inure to
the benefit of the entire community.
he has given up the struggle in dis
gust. That has been the history on
more than one Bureau
Today shippers and reviewers are
approaching this subject in a more
manner Bureaus form
ed in late years are enduring and
making their efficiency felt through
Out the entire land because their
members make of them paying insti,
tutions Care should be taken to Sc
cure as commissioner a man of ripe
experience. of open mind and liberal
views, and in his work should be Civ
IN the fullest cooperation of his mem
bers. The nature of the services re-.
luired of him varies with the needs
f the members. the financial strength
OF the organization, and the general
relation to the carriers of his partic-
ular locality OF conditions. To very
great extent the function of the Blu
'eau consists I'm guarding against dis
ordinations Of all kinds, but its
field may be extended to such mat.
tiers as claims demurrage. quotations
Of rates and routes, changes of rates
or classifications, tracing of ship
ments, notice Of embargoes or block
AIDES, and all matters of like nature
pertaining to the general shipping
business.
Experience has proven that the
more Of the detail work done. the
greater is the value of the Bureau ~
its members. New fields OF useful
ness are constantly opening and the
maintained commissioner IS in a posi-
ton To show results. some thirty.
some sixty. and some 4 hundredfold."
He can also through constant reia-
tions with the shippers and carriers.
acquire an unlimited knowledge OF
the difficulties confronting both. aud
is prepared TO take up each question
as it comes up in a dispassionate. u
dicial manner. His position becomes
that of an arbiter and. If the proper
man. his recommendations will carry
almost equal weight with each Of the
parties in interest.
Railroads generally are disposed
10 be fair to shippers, although ap-
pearances belle this. and if matters
are presented to them in the proper
spirit and light, they invariably grant
some relief, if not all. although they
may be, as We term It. up agains-
H. Railroads will usually do wha.
they can to satisfy any particular
shipper section, or commodity. but
10 satisfy all AT the same time is an