The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-09-03
NEW DEMURRA6E RULES.
Commercial Interests Reply
 to Railroads.

The position of the special denur- rage committee of New England com mercial organizations, of which MT D. O. Ives of the Boston Chamber of Commerce is chairman. in reference to the new demurrage rules which the railroads propose to put into eff feet October 1, is expressed in a state ment given out by that committee yesterday.
 The committee has petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to suspend the tariff of the New Haven Railroad covering these rples until a hearing can be had and all the facts presented.
 The statement is as follows:
 ways defending the new demurrage rules, which they propose to put in to effect on October 1st. states the railroads contention very cleverly. It contains some statements that are entirely fair, and some that are not SO, the statement, as a whole, being
 1. The statement entirely onnits any mention of the fact that this matter has been the cause of conten- shipping public of New England for a year, and that the railways of New England have been deterred from putting the rules into effect up to the present, presumably by the. unanimous protest of shippers and receivers of freight and commercial orga anizations throughout New Eng land. Two mass meetings have been held in the rooms of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, at which the representative from all over New England, and not one voice was raised in favor of the new rules, while every district of New England has been represented and recorded it's protest. Shippers of wool. cotton, grain, flour, coal, hay, lumber, paper, have been represented at these meet ings, and made most vigorous pro tests against the change. At the sec ond mass meeting a special committee was formed consisting of prominent representatives from each State in New England, and extra, members tail Coal Dealers Association of New England, and the Transportation Committee of the Boston Chamber of two meetings with the railroad repre- sentattves at which the position of the shippers of New England was
 On August 9th. having been ad- vised that the railroads proposed to esta blish the rules on October 1st, it addressed the following letter to the Road and sent copies to each of the other roads:
 lowing paragraph from a letter re- eeiyed from you under date of July
 T shall be glad at any time to con change in demurrage ruIes) with you or other of our patrons when to do so will best suit your or their con venience.''
 Under the terms of this offer the undersigned would like to have meeting with you to consider the and we ask that the issuance of any proposed tariff be deferred until we haze haze had had an q+1p 4pportuRity so to con your reply to MT. Ives"
 (Signed by the members of the Demurrage Committee.)
 In accordance with this request a meeting was held August 3Oth, the New Haven road however having issued It's tariff, in the meantime on August 2Sd, effective on October list, the General Manager of the New Ha- ven, speaking for that road, stated that the tariff was issued through an inadveftence.
 At all these meetings and in var lous letters it has been made plain shippers considered conditions in New England quite different from those in other parts of the country, time from 96 to 48 hours as too great They have repeatedly expressed a willingness to compromise on 72 hours.
 Any comprehensive statement of this demurrage question should con tain some reference to the facts
 2. The railways brief states that the railroads are following the ex- ample set by practically all of the other roads in the country
 The rules have not been adopted by the railroads in Texas nor in parts of the intermountain country. They have been the cause of complaint in Chicago and in Ohio. Further, the railroads have allowed two days free time generally throughout the rest of the country for many years while they have been allowing four days in New England, thus admitting some cause for difference during this long period.
 B. The statement is true that the 700 a.. m. clause and others contafn-