Evening star., 1909-06-04
CONSIDER CAR RATES
Railway Commissioners Hold
Public Hearing.
UNIVERSAL RULES ASKED
Representatives of Leading Trunk
Lines Present.
FEATURES OF SESSION TODAY
Proceedings Result of Action at
Last Annual Convention of the
National Association.
FEATURES OF SESSION TODAY

Public hearing on a proposed plan Of
universal car demurrage rules, to be ap-
plicable alike to state and interstate
transportation, with a uniform schedule
of rates and days of limitation. was be-
gun this morning at 10 O'Clock In the
rooms of the interstate commerce COM
mission before a subcommittee of a COM
mittee of the National Association of
Railway Commissioners.
Representatives of the leading trunk
lines and great shippers of the country
attended the hearing, which will be con-
tnued tomorrow. Detailed discussion of
the proposed demurrage rules. as decided
on tentatively by the subcommittee, OF
which Franklin X. Lane of the interstate
commerce commission is chairman. was
begun this morning, and at adjournment
this afternoon the consideration of the
subjects of the cars to which the rules
should apply; the amount OF ffee time
to be allowed and the method of comput-
ing the time were well threshed out by
representatives of the carriers and ship
pers, whose views were often conflicting.
Feature of the Discussion.
The question of whether to formulate
rules governing demurrase on private
cars was one of the features of the morn
ing's discussion; but no definite action on
1t or the other questions will be taken
by the subcommittee until after June Il.
This date was set so that those carriers.
shippers or others interested in the sub
iect who are unable to attend the puDllc
hearings will have a chance to submit
suggestions or proposed amendments in
the form of briefs.
The public hearings are the result of
the action taken at the last annual con-
ont National
Railway commissioners, when a commit
tee was appointed consisting of one rep
resentatve from the railway commission
Of each state and one from the inter-
state commerce commission to frame a
system of universal car demurrage rules
Tentative Demurrage Rules.
A subcommittee of five members was
charged with the duty of drafting a de-
murrage code for submission to the full
committee at subsequent meeting. "A
tentative scheme of demurrage rules has
been decided upon by the subcommittee
and printed copies of 1t circulated gen.
orally among those interested.
In order to hear suggestions and pro-
posed amendments to these rules, the
subcommittee arranged for the public
hearing which began this morning and
will continue tomorrow. The members of
the subcommittee are Franklin K. Lane,
chairman; John \. BOYD. Andrew r.
Gates, John A. Webb, William F. Rhea,
Halford Erickson and Allan p Matthew.
secretary.
Preliminary to the hearings an all-day
session Of the American Railway Asso-
citation was held yesterday at the New
Willard. at which representatives of all
the larger railroads of the country dis
cussed what suggestions they should of
fer at the public hearings of the sub
committee. The question of demurrage
on cars gives the traffic department of
the railroads much trouble up to the
present the roads have not adopted uni
versal system of rates and time limits.