Gilpin observer., 1913-03-20

wolves more changes than any other
tariff publication ever issued by Amer
lean railroads. The work done In
preparation for this issue is said to
have cost the railroads approximately
$500.000
Most Important Phases.
"Of the many phases of the deci-
sion the first In Importance are the
rules and regulations. The carriers
proposed many changes. These are
applicable to every city. town and
hamlet west Of the Mississippi river.
The state commissions made objec-
tions to fourteen Of these rules. and
changes were made or ordered In
twelve of them.
"A concrete illustration of these
concerns the dunnage allowance.
Prior to the issuance Of No. 81. the
carriers permitted the shippers to use
lumber and boards to prop up machin-
cry In q car. the railroads hauling 500
pounds Of such lumber free Of charge.
No. 81 abolished the dunnage privi-
lege, and the commission ordered It
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Thousands Of shipments that are made
annually. the Importance of such .
ruling can be appreciated.
Another change of Importance to
the western half of the United States
concerns green hides. The carriers
put in rule permitting them to re-
fuse to take green hides for shipment.
We pointed out that they could be
stored or handled in live stock cars.
and not .contaminate other commodi-
ties. and claimed that the carriers
should be compelled to accept the
same for transportation. Our position
was sustained by the commission.
Minimum Rate Ruling.
Several hundred advances were
proposed by the railroads in minimum
weights. They announced their pol
icy to be the establishment Of mini
NUNS upon the physical capacity OF
the cars. refusing to take into consid-
Grafton the commercial conditions
surrounding the transportation.
Carload Mixtures.
"One OF the most important parts Of
this case concerns carload mixtures.
The carriers proposed the elimination
Of carload mixtures on 234 articles.
and proposed changes restricting car
load mixtures on more than three hun
dred other articles. One of the most
important changes affecting carload
mixtures, which serves as an illustra-
ton Of the effect of such changes,
concerns binding twine. Prior to the
issuance Of No. 81, the carriers per-
mitted binding twine to be shipped
mixed with agricultural implements.
all of which took carload rates. In
No. 81. they proposed to apply less
binding twine made in this manner.
This would have caused an advance
Of about one hundred per cent in the
freight rates on binding twine, and
more than ninety per cent of all bind
ing twine shipments, we were told
by the largest shippers in the coun-
try, would be affected by this hundred
per cent advance
"As indicating the policy of the
carriers, thirty-two articles had car.
load mixtures granted to them, while
over flve hundred articles were totally
eliminated from carload mixtures. or
the mixtures were changed or re-
stricted. The interstate commerce
commission has ordered the carriers
to pursue diametrically the opposite
course. Instead Of restricting mix
lures. they are instructed to make
them more liberal
In addition to these changes in
rules. the commission made specific
orders disapproving advances on
long list of articles. The decision In
this case is the most epoch-making
on Classification matters ever render
ed by the interstate commerce COM
mission"