Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-14
SAYS POOR SCALES
CAUSE BIG LOSSES
Representative Willis Would
Have Government Take
Over Railroad Weighing.

DeciaI4is thdt lIelSnt Shippers ali
over the country are suffering an
enormous loss because Of the fact that
only 10 per cent Of the tract. scales
used by railroads are accurately tested,
anG that only one-fourth OF the scales
are inspected in any way at all. Rep
resentative Willis of Ohio introduced
bill into the House yesterday to require
a complete change in this respect.
l. The bill, based on {. long and ex-
haustive examination OF the subject by
the interstate commerce commission re-
quircs that the American Railway AS
ISOLATION be authorized to designate the
standard scale to be used, together with
standards for pits. weights and all
devices pertaining to the track scales
The railroads would then have until
1915 to get the proper equipment. Altar
that violations Of the act would result
in heavy fines.
In Touch With Inquiry.
Representative Willis is a member of
the interstate and foreign commerce
committee of the House, and has been
In touch with the interstate commerce
commissions inquiry into the question
| involved in his bill. The expert of the
commission with whom Representative
Willis has been consulting is Attorney
MafChanG or the commission
Speaking of the bill, Mr.. Willis said:
This bill was prepared In response
TO protests or shippers all over the
country concerning the inaccuracies Of
weight eight as as given give, by track scales in
panies. As the result of these inaccu-
racies shippers have been subjected to
great losses and IL has been found
81 eat difficulty was experienced in cor
recting the Inaccuracies The matter
IN he lff zEaff tan rf
the Interstate commerce commission
and that body has instituted an inves-
| tigation which has taken wide range,
occupying some forty-siX days, some
| 1000 pages OF testimony being taken
and a great number of exhibits ac-
cumulated.
| Necessity OF Legislation.
1t is quite certain that legislation Of
| this character is necessary at this
| time. According to n most careful
| estimate three-fourths of all the track
scales In use in the United States are
| OF defective design or are not properly
| installed. Less than e-fourth are
properly inspected Not more than 10
| per cent are accurately tested and the
majority are not in any proper sense
| tested ut all. The methods of weigh
| ing are needless and in many cases
! unsatisfactory.
This being so. Ii seems that some fed
| erstl tribunal should be invested with
| authority to correct these abuses. In
| most cases the freight rate Is measured
| on the basis of 100 pounds 1t amounts
| to the same thing whether the rate sbe
| high or the weight be excessive. Inac-
curacies in weighing result In the 1mpo-
| stion of unreasonable charges and In
| discrimination between shippers, just as
| really as do differences In the freight
| rate itself. Nor does it meet the situa-
| ton to say that the railroad has given
| to one shipper by assessing charges upon
/ too low a weight what Is taken from
| another by enforcing an excessive weight.
True Weights Sought.
!! I'm SO far as possible the weight at best
/, should be the true weight. In view Of
! the numerous complaints from all parts
| of the country and the undoubted in
/ justice of the Inaccuracies referred to 1t
! seems that there should be legislation to
give some federal tribunal authority to
| fix the point at which track scales shall
be installed, to prescribe the standard of
| such scales and their installation. to test
| such scales and to supervise the opera
ton of the same.
1t is believed that the desired objects
are embodied in this bill. The BILL while
not imposing any hardships upon the
carriers of this country, will give relief
to shippers and be of great benefit to
| the masses of our people everywhere
through bringing about more just and
f, equitable freight charges"