The San Francisco call., 1909-03-20
SANTA ff DEFENDS
CARLOAD Minimum
Traffic Manager Chambers
Would Charge for Goods That
Can Not Be Loaded
Rates on Furniture Shipments
Made on Basis Of All
Traffic Would Bear

At yesterdays hearing of the car
load minimum" question before Inter
state Commerce Commissioner C. A.
Prouty, E. Chambers, traffic manager
of the Santa Fe. who occupied the
stand for great part of the day. JUS
titled all the actions of the railroads
in fixing arbitrary "minimums," al
though it was shown that in most
cases the minimum could not be loaded
The buyer who can afford to pur-
chase carload lots is entitled to pro-
lection, Chambers argued, and it was
for this reason that the small dealers
were forbidden to consolidate ship
ments and take advantage Of the car
load rate. Commissioner Prouty OBJ
tanned an admission that the rule
brought greater revenue to the railroad
because the small shippers were
obliged to pay the less than carload
rate and the road could fill the car
with goods of other dealers, who also
paid the higher rate.
OBJECTION TO CHANGE
Chambers solicitude for the carload
Shippers did not go to the extent of
admitting that the rule, known as
i. Z. Z. S65," should apply to furni-
ture. AT previous hearing he said
that the rule should only be applied
to hay and confined to certain terri
tory. Yesterday he thought it should
only apply to live stock.
This rule, which contains the remedy
Tor the ills of the furniture dealers. If
1t can be maintained and made to
apply to their commodity, was pub
nsned by the transcontinental freight
bureau February l. of this year. 1t
PROVIDES that when the space capacity
OF cars furnished for loading will not
contain IN weight the minimum car
load named for shipment, then charges
viii be assessed at actual weight.
Attorney Bracken admitted rbat he
ala not believe the minimum could be
loaded in many instances. He said
that since the minimums were fixed the
design and weight of several classes of
goods had been made heavier, but he
believed the minimum and the rate
should remain unchanged.
ALL TRAFFIC WILL BEAR
Chambers admitted that the rate
charged furniture shippers was "all the
traffic would bear
A. s. Shindler of the Royal mantel
company, recalled by Bracken, said il
was useless to apply to the railroads
for a remedy for their troubles.
+. j. Williams, buyer for the Michigan
furniture company, said that bedroom
furniture could be figured at Is to 20
per cent below the minimums and ex-
planned that the difference in weight of
shipments was due to the preponder-
ance in some shipments of heavy pieces.
PROUTY SUMS UP CASE
Commissioner Prouty summed up the
case As far as it has gone in a state
ment to Camp:
Il do not think you can sustain
Chambers position on the theory of
selling of space in the same way that a
ship sells it's space-so much a cubic
foot The minimum carload is sus-
tainable on the theory that the carrier
has the right to insist that the car
shall be loaded to a certain weight
that it shall obtain pay for so much
traffic, and where it provides a mini
mum that will in ordinary cases per-
NIT loading to it's capacity it may.
under some circumstances, exact pay
for something which is not loaded. But
do not think you can justify the situ-
alton on the minimum theory which
will not ordinarily load to the mini
num-"
The hearing will be concluded this
morning.