The Detroit times., 1910-06-15
BAGGAGE AGENTS
SCRAP OVER EXCESS
Employees of Western Lines Opposed
To l0.Pound Leeway Rule OF
Eastern Railways.

A warm discussion, which split the
American Association OF General Bag
gage Agents into two distinct rae
lions, In the first session OF their con-
yention In the Hotel fuller. Wednes-
day moruing, resulted from the read-
ng of a paper on excess baggage and
variation of scales.
Baggagemen from the western rail-
roads were all In favor Of going on
record for fiat limit OF $50 pounds
OF baggage on each full ticket, while
representatives OF eastern roads con-
tended that their present arrange
ment, giving a leeway or 10 pounds
should be put In force on all roads.
The interstate commerce law pro
vides that $50 pounds OF baggage shall
be carried free. The western roads,
except when accepting transfers from
the more liberal eastern Inns, charge
excess baggage rates on anything
over 100 pounds. The eastern roads
generally work under tariff" which
states that anything over 100 pounds
is excess baggage, but that baggage
under 100 pounds shall not be charg-
ed for. Thus, II baggage weighs 159
pounds. II goes free. II 1t weighs 161
pounds, II Is taxed as IL pounds ex-
cess baggage.
Delegates from the west. insisted
tina. ali roads should sharply draw tho
line at $50 pounds. The eastern men
declared 1t was pretty small business
to charge a man excess baggage, un-
der such sharply defined rule, In
case he had only few ounces, or
few pounds, of overweight
The westerners contended that II
was no more small business" to do
that. than to allow a man with 159
pounds OF baggage to go untaxed, and
force the man with 161 pounds TO pay
excess on ii pounds.
1T would be arbitrary tor us to set
the sharp limit at $50 pounds" said
AN eastern baggageman, and II would
probably result In the legislatures, on
account OF our own arbitrary action,
boosting the amount OF excess bag
gage allowed, to It's or perhaps 200
pounds per ticket"
Our action wouldn't make a par
ticle OF difference shot back a west
ern man. IF the legislatures want TO
boost the limit. they will do 1t no
matter what action we take on this
question. The more you do for the
public. the less they appreciate IT,"
The eastern delegates contended
that variation OF the scales, In diff
ferent baggage rooms along the line,
made II necessary to have a leeway
of 10 pounds to work upon. A western
delegate answered that railroad bag
gage scales were inspected, not only
by the railroad. but by the local seal
ers of weights and measures.
Whereupon, an eastern man jumped
to his feet and offered to bet that
there were not two stations on any
road where the scales didn't vary at
least q pound.
Yes, and sometimes Ave pounds"
amended another easterner.
The discussion lasted nearly an
hour. At that point. II was further
from decision than at the start. Then
the chairman spotted a. stranger in
the hall, announced that ii was a
private session. and the proceedings
were resumed In star chamber style.
One OF the biggest grievances OF
the baggage men Is against the mod
ern hat. the milliner. and the millin-
cry drummer. They declared, We'd
nesday morning, that II was often I'M
possible to get millinery drummer's
travelling case through the door OF the
ordinary baggage car
The question came up during a dis
cussion advocating a limit to the size
of single pieces of baggage.
A committee Of Is was appointed TO
meet with a committee of trunk manu-
facturers and dealers, and discuss the
81 ox a
tain dimensions. manufactured.
Then we ought TO get rule on the
various railroads by which they would
refuse to accept trunks over a certain
size" advocated one delegate LAS 1t
Is now, the trunks come In sizes and
shapes that are next to impossible to
handle. Getting them on and off bag.
gage cars holds up fast trains"
The proposition to remedy the size
of trunks, met with uniform approval
Fifteen subjects of vital interest to
baggagemen are up for discussion, the
convention to conclude Thursday
Among other things, the baggagemen
want rule requiring an additional
ticket when the escort of the dead
accompanies more than one body.
Allied with the Baggagemen. but
holding a separate convention In room
215 Of the Hotel fuller, is the Ameri-
can Transformers association. which
held a business session Wednesday
morning, and will take up matters Of
interest to the delegates Wednesday
afternoon. They are also holding a
two-day session.
The baggagemen have invited the
transformer to be their guests at a
Dutch lunch, to be held Wednesday
evening, and the Invitation was &C.
cepted.