Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-15
CONTROVERSY
. IS BEGUN OVER
CAR SHORTAGE
Carriers Blame Shippers
and Vice Versa in Hear
ing Before the Railroad
Commission. r-.
IBY ORA WILLIAMS

Des Moines, May 1.-THE railroad
commission, in opening up the demur-
rage question in its relation to car
shortage, raised big issue that will be
hard to determine no matter what the
actual situation. -s ',..'-r -r
The carriers, through the demurrage
associations, insist that the real trou-
BILE as to car shortage Is the holding
Of cars too long by shippers In process
of loading or unloading; that the ship
pers are not deferred by the penalty
as now imposed; and that consequently
the way to get more cars in service Is
to force shippers to use fewer cars as
warehouses, by raising the penalty for
holding cars. t- g..
The shippers, through the CONNER
cial bodies and associations, declare
that the car shortage comes largely
through inefficient service of the car
riers; that If they would give more
uniform and steady and prompt service
there would be very seldom any oc-
casion for imposing the demurrage
penalty; hence that increase Of the de-
murrage would not in the slightest
affect the car shortage.
iSSue clearly OeIineo. y.
The issue is one clearly defined.
This was shown at the hearing which
was commenced in the hall Of the
house Of representatives yesterday be-
fore the railroad commission. The
burden of proof Of necessity for the
increase fell on the officials OF, the ILL
nois and Iowa demurrage bureau with
headquarters in Peoria. This bureau
does business on 26 lines in Iowa. at
! ,O10 stations. It's report Is enlighten-
ing.
The bureau handled or reported for
demurrage 6O7,346 cars in six months
OF last year. A part were on what
they call q straight; basis and a part
on the average agreement They
found that 1923 cars were delayed
over days each. The bureau esti-
mates that II the So rate was in force
in Iowa as I'm California there would
not be more than half as much car
detention in the Iowa territory. II all
the cars had been released within the
free time by cOnsignees there would
have been restored 1902 care a day
for the use of the public.
The shippers are prepared to, make
9 showing that the conditions In Call
fornia are so entirely different from
those in Iowa that no comparison Is
worth anything They Insist that most
OF the delay is due to the irregularity
with which cars are furnished ship
pers and is no fault of the shippers.
hence that nothing in the way OF de-
murrage can affect this situation.
The case for the carriers was hand
led by representatives of the demur-
rage bureau. w. B. Martin, of Dubu-
que, took the lead in the fight against
the increase. A conference was held
with Secretary .Wrightman of the Iowa
Manufacturers association and the
plans laid for opposing the demurrage
increase. Others who were present
yesterday were M. D. Smiley, Clinton;
E. D. Wylie, Des Moines; George T..
Bell, Sioux City; Mr.. Sundberg, Cedar
Rapids; E. H. Draper, .Marshalltown;
John O'Halloran, Clinton and Mr. Har-
rison, Keokuk. sy.r, 4 .-,s
Blue sky Bill Stands.
The ban goes on for "bluesky" busi-
ness transactions in Iowa. 4. ....
Governor Clarke will not make use
of his veto pen to decide a question
as to the constitutionality of a bill