The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-03
Rules Outlined Governing Ex-
 port Shipments
RESULT OF CONFERENCE
s.xepteen striugent Regulations Are Made to Insure the Validity or Hills and to Protect For
 eIgn Importers

lines handling export cottoH ih all essentials. The protection thrown around bills of lading for cotton eA portation were never more pronouhcec lin the south and it comes as result of a conference held between all al fected railroads at White Saiphui Snrines. Va, at the request or the American and European bankers.
 The bankers appealed to the ral- roads to assume the initiative In the matter of protecting cotton shipiiieh's for the good of the shipper, toeai banker. railroads and the foreign bank CTS who finance the cotton crops ot the south.
 The ordinary bills of lading or those used this time last year were thrown linto disrepute following the failure of knieht Yancey & Co.,, and Steele, Mill CT & Go. Their failure, as Is generally known. caused the most widespread comment and the incidental loss or several million dollars to foreign pank- CTS. Immediately after some of the hills of lading issued had been shown false the foreign bankers, applied TOT protective measures. The result Is that passenger tickets. actual money or any other valuabes will not be any more nrotected than cotton bills of lading-
 Specially Designed Persons
 The lines affected will have original bills of lading certified to by a spe- cially designated person and i'll every important shipping point.
 Seventeen stringent rules will be closely observed by the railroad con- panies in handling cotton from com press points Every official who handles the cotton will be checked by validat- ing agencies, shippers, water carriers land owners before the cotton Is placed aboard any ship for export In ad- dition a seal will be so affixed that if tempered with in any manner the bill will be recognized as having been changed.
 The plan according to L. Sevier gen eral agent of the Southern, will be followed by the Southern railway, the Queen and Crescent route lines and the Mobile and Ohio The Louisville and Nashville local freight officers state that the validating certificate and  It is very certain that the same will apply to the Seab board, Frisco. Illinois Central, Central of Georgia and, in fact. all lines handling cotton for ex- port shipment. However no official announcements have been made by any lines other than the Southern railway interests and the Louisville and Nash vile.
 The rules adopted by the Alabama Great Southern and which will be gen. orally observed are given:
 Rules for issuance of export bills of lading for cotton, effective September 1, 1910:
 '1 An export bill of lading for cotton must be signed only by the agents of the , Alabama Great Southern Railroad com pany, or by such other representatives of this company as are duly authorized by the comptroller.
 ''2 No agent or other representative of this company will sign export bills of lading for cotton except under the fol- lowing conditions:
 "(a) When such agent or other repre- sentative has knowledge that the cotton covered by said bill of ladng is actually in the possession of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad company.
 "(b) Or upon presentation and surrender os loading certificate issued by duly au- thorzed representatives of warehouses or compress companies that have executed the usual contract with the Alabama Great Southern Railroad company, said loading certificate to certify that cotton is loaded in cars designated by initials and numbers on the loading certificate, and not otherwise.
 "S The agent of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad company must obtain from the comptroller the names of the compress companies and warehouse com panies with which this company has con- chded contracts and the names of the representatives thereof duly authorized to issue said loading certificate.
 "A. The data as to the number of bales and the marks on the bales on the orig inal bill of lading must, in each case. be written with pen and ink, but the other data on the bills of lading may be inserted with pen and ink or by type writer.
 ''5 There shall be no additions, erasures or changes in the bill of lading, except by special notation of the agent, or au- thorzed representative signing same.
 ..e. Export cotton bills of lading must be issued in serial numbers, beginning with Number One D at each issuing station on the 1st of September of each year. and such serial numbers for ex- port cotton bills of ladng must be kept separate from the serial number used on bills of lading for other traffic.
 Agents keeping serial numbers for ex- port cotton 'engagements,' shall keep same separate and in serial form, begin ming with Number One CD on the 1st of September of each year.
 .7. All copies of bills of lading must bear the same serial number as the original.
 .s. Original bills of lading and each CODY thereof must be dated the day the cotton Is received for shipment.
 9. Only one original bill of lading must he issued for each shipment, but as many copies as are reasonably required may be issued. provided that each copy is plainly marked across the face, thereof with pen and ink, Copy not negotiable (See No. 16)
 TO In the last paragraph of the bill of I, fo t1,A