Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-09
RATES IN
NORTHERN JERSEY
CALLED UNJUST
Many Trade Boards Unite in
Protest to Interstate Com
merce Commission.

| before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, at Washington. Mr.. Reilly
left for Washington this morning and
expects to file the formal petition to-
day.
| The principal subject at the Joint
conference was the question of light
erage charges. which Northern New
Jersey has to pay by reason of being
charged the same rates as New York
| shippers, who receive the benefit of
| lighterage service, whereas no such
| hghterage service has to be, nor Is
| performed In the case of shipments
to and from New Jersey points. In
the petition on this point the con-
ferees state:
I'VE are willing to pay the same
rate as New York, provided the rates
for New York are increased by the
cost of lighterage."
The petition bases the justification
Tor Its claim on the decision entered
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion In Case is, Kindel versus New
York, New Haven and Hartford Rail-
road (565,55s), in which the commits
sion says:
| Case Is Cited.
| Where the cost of the extra ter
| minal service is saved to the carrier,
and as that cost is provided for in
f, the rate, the rate is too high IL that
cost is not incurred"
1t Is pointed out that this lighter
age charge borne by New Jersey
amounts to three cents per hundred
| pounds, and as the estimated annual
tonnage sent over the railroads for
shippers of Northern New Jersey
amounts to about 250OO,000 tons, this
involves an extra charge to the ship
pers of SIG, 100000.
Resolved, That the Board of Trade
of the city of Newark, representing
| the Industrial and commercial inter-
ests of the city, enter protest with
the Interstate Commerce Commission
against the issuance of q rule or
! order which would permit Of a charge
| being imposed by carriers under what
, Is known as the spotting of cars SER
| vice, for the reason that We believe
it would involve immense investment
on the part of carriers at terminal
| points to provide terminal facilities
that it would add heavy cost for
| trucking charges upon all classes of
| business which would grow out Of
congestion at terminals, and for the
reason that we do not believe It
would be within the ability of the
Interstate Commerce Commission to
| consider the equity of the individual
| owner of siding privileges, which has
| involved large investment of private
capital; be it further
Resolved That the attention of
the Interstate Commerce Commission
be invited to the discrimination
which has existed for several decades
and which has diverted just and law
full revenues from the several car
r!ers directly concerned and their
connecting lines, through rendering
of service involving an invested
capital OF approximately $50 90
and the delivery of millions of tons
of freight annually in and about New
York Harbor under what is known as
the free lighterage privilege, SER
vice for which no charge has been
| made, and under which, If the cost
| of service was added to the rate, q
revenue equal to the revenue esti-
| mated TO be derived from the pro-
| posed general increase of per cent
| could be secured.
Resolved, That the Board of Trade
/ of the city of Newark authorize the
presentation of a petition to the In
terstate Commerce Commission pray
Ing for the removal of the free light
erage privilege and the making of
Newark q separate rate zone from
New York, thereby removing a dis.
elimination which has retarded the
proper development of the industrial
and commercial interests not only of
Newark. but Of all of that territory
in the State of New Jersey taking
New York rate on freight ship
ments."
"SpOtting" Charges.
In calculating the question of an
extra charge for sporting" cars, that
is, running them on the private sid
ings, the report says:
Your committee is impressed with
the idea that 1t was a mistake
for the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion to initiate the issue, as in so
doing they have tacitly admitted the
right of the carriers to look to this
source as a means of increasing their
revenue. AS your committee views
the situation, it would serve, If q
charge were imposed, to discourage
the use OF private sidings-a result
that would be burdensome and costly
to the carriers and to all business
interests.
ut has been pointed out to your
committee that in some instances
if such a charge We're allowed that
some of our industrial plants would
be forced TO pay four separate
charges on one shipment for the
"spotting" of a car The first, at the
point of origin; the second, at the
plant located in Newark, where, un-
der the fabrication clause, the CON
| tents of the car is removed and
worked into a finished product, and
then reloaded, the unloading and the
| loading being two separate opera
tons, and a final charge at the point
| of delivery"
In taking up the other freight
questions involved the report says, in
part:
"The committee would take occa-
| sion to say that they are in hearty
accord and sympathy with the car
| riers to improve conditions and to in
crease revenues; at the same time,
as a committee, we hold that there
are many inequalities existing, which,
il adjusted, would materially add to
the earning capacity Of the roads. We
would cite at this time the losses that
are imposed upon all Of the carrying
interests in the United States through
the operation of the free service
known as the Iighterage privilege in
New York Harbor, and also the con-
tinuance of the system of commodity
rates.
No justification for Charge.
off the decisions of the Interstate
Commerce Commission represent the
true spirit of the interstate commerce
law there is no justification for the
railroads rendering this service with
out including it's actual cost in the
rate, any more than there is any JUS
tilication for the railroads imposing
the cost of hghterage service In the
rate to the territory in northern New
Jersey, q service which is in no way
q part Of the real service performed
in the delivery or shipment OF freights
to points not included within the
lighterage limit. and if a charge for
the service for spotting cars on sid
ings is deemed advisable we contend
that this exemption Is radically