The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-06-19
RECONSICNMENT
CHARGE AROUSES
COAL DEALERS
Claim Latest Order of the Michi-
gan Central Works Great
Hardship
CONSUMER, OF COURSE,
is ULTIMATE SUFFERER
Dealers Must Name Exact Des.
tinatiOn at Shipment or Suf-
fer Penalty

Detroit coal dealers are thoroughly
aroused over a notice sent TO them,
June 10, by the traffic department OF
the Michigan Central railroad, which,
! II its provisions are carried out. they
say, will work a hardship on them
and result ultimately In higher price
OF coal to consumers. The notice Ia
that hereafter each coal dealer order
ing q shipment will be required to In
form the company In what yard or
private siding he wants the car left
as soon as he receives word that II
has been shipped. Should he fail to
do SO before II reaches West Detroit.
he must pay 81 reconsignment
charge.
This demand Is the latest move in
controversy which has been going
on several months between the rail-
roads and coal shippers. The recon-
signment fee and an attempted in
crease of switching charges were fea-
lures Of an agreement entered into by
several roads and held up by the In
terstate Commerce commission. De-
troit coal men sent a legal represen-
tative to appear before the commits.
sion when the matter came up In the
spring.
The reconsignment clause finally
was allowed and was adopted by va
rious roads.
the Michigan Central laid down rules
for its enforcement whereby the road
was to notify consignee when a car
of his coal arrived In Toledo or Jack
son, and he was to send word to West
Detroit on the same day where 1t was
to ," left.
THAT arrangement was all right"
said prominent coal man, discussing
the situation. 1T doesn't take long
for a car to come from either OF those
places, SO that we can tell where we
will want II sent then. but 1t Ia utter
ly impossible to do so at the time
car is shipped. 1t may be on the road
few days or as many weeks. For In
stance. we unloaded cars Monday that
were shipped June IL, while we have
others shipped from the same place
June 2, which we have not yet heard
from.
Sometimes they are on the way a
Spupic VI tuohtHo ally Wucu tAcy w
come are often punched with others
which have been ordered later. The
natural result, you see, is that II a
man who has several yards gives or
ders where each car shall 60 when It
is shipped, he will frequently fnd
himself with more stock that he can
handle In one place, while his unload
ing equipment In other stations may
be idle.
THE roads claim that the purpose
of the arrangement Is to facilitate the
unloading Of cars, but it will have ex-
actly the opposite effect by causing
them to be punched. Thus 1t will not
only cause loss to the coal man by
making him either pay the 81 or leave
part Of his working force idle at
times. but will cause him to pay de.
murrage whenever the punching OF
cars makes him slow about unloading
These added expenses, of course
must be paid by the consumer. Any
thing that increases the expenses OF
handling a product must finally rest
on him
1T isn't only the large dealer with
several yards that will be hurt, eth
er. In fact, the small man will be hit
harder than anybody else. Heretofore
when any of his cars have gone astray
he has merely telephoned to a larger
dealer who had lot OF cars in Yves,
Detroit and who would let him have
one at slight advance. Now he will