Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-10-24
DESCRIPTION
MUST Be CORRECT
SHIPPERS WHO MlSDESCRlBE
SHIPMENTS COURT PENALTY
UNDER LAWS.
AFTER FALSE WEIGHTS
Wrong Descriptions and incorrect
= Weights on Bills OF Lading May
Get Shippers Into Trouble
With Commerce Body.

That shippers are sometimes guilty
of misdirecting their shipments and
even marking false weights on their
bills of lading, and that the interstate
commerce commission will prosecute
such acts, is made the subject of an
article in Trade and Transportation,
a publication for the railroads and
shippers at New York. The article Is
titled "Misdescription and False
Weights" and Is as follows:
!. Notwithstanding the law and the
penalty, it is fact that many ship
pers misdescribe their freight in their
bills of lading and furnish the rail
roads false weights. 1t is also fact
that not nearly SO many shippers
practice these illegal methods today
as they did before the enactment of
the so-called Hepburn Amendment"
1t is also a fact, that a good many
of the misdescriptions are the result
Of lack Of knowledge on the part Of
shippers OF fine distinctions OF the
various railroad classifications and
the multiplicity of the rules govern
ing In different parts of the country,
to say nothing of the numerous issues
of the various state railroad commits
sions, some Of which even undertake
to make freight classifications under
their jurisdiction.
OF course the larger shippers can
not escape responsibility with that
excuse. Most Of them employ traffic
managers who devote their entire
time to obtaining the best freight
rate possible for their concerns and
usually these bright young men know
all about all the advantages that can
be obtained legitimately or illegiti-
mately-some of them unfortunately
are taking chances with the law, pre-.
sumably without their chiefs know
ledge, and it is only question Of
time when they will be caught and
prosecuted.
There have already been few
cases carried to the courts in the
east, and now that the interstate
commerce commission has more time
since most the important cases
against the railroads have been dis
posed of, or are we'll under way, 1t
will no doubt give more attention to
the violations by the shippers, in fact,
examiners in the employ of the COM
mission are actively going over the
territory now.
The commission has also instituted
an investigation of the weighing of
freight for shipment; they have had
a half dozen hearings already at diff
ferent centers and will have many
before they get through-their inves-
tigation Is taking wide range
track sales. elevator sales, team
ovny oh 1P no,
carload of merchandise ETC., and
the result can not help but show the
railroads are being imposed upon by
the shippers-that shippers as rule
make claims for the least oyercharge
In weight and very seldom report to
the railroad where they are under
charged in weight, forgetting that
such an advantage is in fact reduc-
ton from the established lawful rate
and becomes violation Of the law.
1t is only fair to state that the larg-
err shippers, the big reputable firms
all over the country, are fully alive
to their responsibility under the law
and do not and will not allow the
least misdescription or false weight to
60 out of their houses, and there are
some of them that even report to the
railroads when they discover they
have been undercharged and insist
that the corrections to the higher
rate on higher freight be made at
once. These are the shippers whom
the railroads and the Interstate COM
MERGE commission are in duty bound
to protect by prosecuting their COM
petitors in business who try to obtain
an unfair advantage by misdescribing
their goods or by giving false weights.
It's the smaller merchant that still
thinks he is smart If he can ship >edg-
ed tools or coffin trimmings as hard
ware or smuggle pianos into car