The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-06-30
Arrangements for Demurr-
age Charges to Shippers
Seem to Be in Favor
SOLVES FORMER DIFFICULTIES
Local Shippers Who Have Adopted the
Plan Find That it is Decided I'M
provement Over Former Scheme of
the Railways.

The reciprocity feature of the car
demurrage regulations put into effect
early in the spring is meeting with a
great success. The railroads and the
shippers and the consignees are pleas
ed with the results, and the fairness
of the arrangement, and no longer are
strenuous complaints made against the
railroads.
Few people outside of those having
dealings with freight in car load lots
know what the reciprocity scheme is,
although it has been explained
lin numerous articles. Several
months ago a committee appointed by
the interstate commission and composed
of shippers, railroad men and others in
Ivestigated the demurrage feature of the
freight business, and finally drafted the
reciprocity plan which practically every
railroad in the country has adopted.
Under this plan the charge against
the consignee or consignor as the case
may be, is based on the average time
of detention of cars.
In the first place car may be de-
tanned without charge for two days.
If released to the railroad within the
first "A hours after arrival, the Gus
toner is credited with one day.
For every "a hours or fraction there
of that a, car is held after the two-day
limit, debit of one day is charged.
No more than seven days credit will
be allowed in cancellation of debts
which might have accumulated on one
car by OBTAINING it long period. In
such cases, the credits earned off other
cars of the same class may be used
in cancelling the debts up to seven
days.
The demurrage charge is one dollar
a. day, no charge being made for the
first two days car is held At the
end of every month the accounts are
footed up.
If the figures show that the debts
exceed the credits, that is, if the num-
Der of days that cars were detained
over the two-day limit exceeds the
number of days that any car or cars
were released by the consignee or
shipper, whichever it may be for each
debit charge standing against him.
If the books show that the credits
exceed the debts, the whole account
is cancelled. No payments are made
by the railroad company to the Gust
omer.
Neither can the excess of credits, if
any, be continued over until the next
month with the expectation that they
will apply against the next month s de-
bits if any
Credits on any one class of cars
should not be used in offsetting debts
on another class. There are two classes
of equipment: (A) Box cars includ-
ing refrigerator cars; (B) Freight cars
of all descriptions.
The day is understood to begin at
a. m. Cars arriving at destination after
70 clock will not be charged for that
day, but the two day limit will begin
the following day at Z clock. In such
cases the consignee received practically
a three-d day dispensation.
On the other hand even if the car
is unloaded or loaded as the case may
be within a few hours after arrival,
the consignee or consignor will not be
credited with only one days credit. If
the car is detained no matter how little
after the two-day limit is up, the debit
charges of one is made.
1t rests upon the customers to advise
the company when the car is ready for
release, in order to obtain credits and
to be free from debts.
Strange to say, that while the ar
rangement is probably the best ever
placed in the hands of consignees and
shippers for adoption, not all of them
in Kenosha have adopted it. In the
case of the largest, it is stated that
they generally hold cars beyond the
wo-day limit anyway, and at best would
seldom have any credits.
Coal dealers find the scheme an ex-
cellent one When they receive a string
of coal cars now, they may unload say
as many as three cars the very first
day, thereby earning as many credits.
The next day no matter how many are
unloaded will gain them nothing, but
will save them from demurrage charges.
but the fact that they have earned
three days credit will enable them to
thold as many cars another day without
loss to themselves.
A license was issued TODAY for the