Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-03-03
THE SHIPPERS WIN
PACKAGES NEED NOT BE MARKED
WITH THE FULL NAME OF CON-
SIGNEE, SAYS COMMISSION.
EXPOSES TRADE NAMES
Argument That Rule Means Cut
Prices Not Considered Seriously,
However, by Commits
sion.

Madison.-The Chicago and North
Western, Chicago, Milwaukee and ST..
Paul, Minneapolis, ST. Paul and Sault
Ste Marie, and Illinois Central rail
roads were ordered by the Wisconsin
railroad commissioners to stop apply
ing that portion of their rule q which
compels shippers to mark each bun
die, package or piece OIL freight, less
than carload lots, with the full name
of the consignee.
The order constitutes decisive vic
tory for the Wisconsin Butter Manu-
facturerS' and Milk Producers As5O-
citation, which brought the matter be-
fore the commission some months
ago. The petitioning association is a
mutual one composed of dealers in
butter and eggs in Wisconsin, and has
it's headquarters in Madison, and the
complaint brought was that the rule,
which is known as No. 27 of the
western classifications As and 46, was
unjust and unreasonable, particularly
in that it required the marking of
every package with the full name Of
the consignee. This, it was claimed
by the petitioners, was unjust and I'M
reasonable for the reason that it in
vOlved much unnecessary work, and
further that it revealed to competitors
secrets of business which constitute
valuable asset.
The commission, in writing it's
views upon the question, said that it
was not impressed by the secrecy
argument, that that theory of the
petitioners was pernicious and against
public policy; that, in fact, it was a
petition to the commission to protect
jobbers in whatever profits they may
reap at the expense of producers and
consumers alike. The commission
says, however, that that part of the
rule regarding the full name of the
consignee is not reasonable, and that
it should be modified
This rule has been complained of
by :obbers of dairy products ever
since it's adoption by the companies,
the objection being that competing
jobberS could secure the name and
address of the customer of the ship
per and by quoting lower prices Sc
cure the business. Time was but a
year or two ago, when all that was
required as mark upon freight con-
signments was a mark of any kind
that could be entered on the way bill.
This practice became so general that
the railroads suffered serious losses
when parcels became separated from
the shipment. There was no way to
identify the stray parcels, and much
trouble and annoyance resulted. 1t
was to avoid this that rule q was
made by the companies. The order
to cease enforcement applies only to
that part of the rule particularly com
planned of and does not modify it in
any other respect.
The commission also ordered the
Chicago and Northwestern railroad
to refund to A. J. Branell, of Fort
Atkinson, $40 overcharge on the
shipment of a launch from Oshkosh
to Fort Atkinson. The charge was
two and a half times first class rate
on minimum of 5000 pounds, while
the launch weighed in fact but 1900
The commissioners allowed a charge
of but double first class at actual
$3.50 to $40, or more than one-half