Evening star., 1948-07-06
Trucker Rulings
Of ice Hit by
State Officials
Agriculture, Public
Hurt by Decisions,
Association Says
By the Assoeioted Press


BY the Associated Press
State agriculture commissioners
charged today that Interstate Com
merce Commission administration
of the 1885 motor carrier act has
been detrimental to agriculture and
the public.
The National Association of Com
missioners, secretaries and directors
of Agriculture contended in state
ment that ICC rulings have favored
railroads and large truck lines and
have strengthened their monopoll-
site control of transportation.
The association said it is joining
the Agriculture Department in a
rehearing of case in which 1t con-
tends the ICC ruled that spinach,
when washed and packaged, be-
comes manufactured product.
Exemptions Cited.
H. K. Thatcher, association Sec
retary. said that when Congress
enacted the Motor Carrier Act 1t
exempted these carriers from route
and rate regulation:
i. A private carrier hauling his
own truck, and
2. Carriers hauling only agricul-
tural commodities not including
manufactured products.
But, Mr.. Thatcher said, the COM
mission constantly has narrowed the
exemptions for trucks hauling agri-
cultural commodities and has sought
to bring more and more trucking
operations under its control.
For instance, he said, the COM
mission has held that if a trucker of
farm commodities hauls nom
exempt commodity, such as sack
of feed, then his operations all be-
come subject to route and rate
control.
Ruling Is Criticized.
Under this ruling" he said, the
only way that trucker could main
tain his exemption from Interstate
Commerce Commission control
would be to haul an unmanufac-
tured agricultural product only, and
when he could not obtain such a
commodity, to travel without a
load"
An empty return trip, he said,
means higher costs and results in
higher prices.
Then, he said, the commission has
ruled that various commodities are
manufactured articles and thus not
exempt.
To illustrate" he said, "the COM
mission has ruled that cutting the
heads off of shrimp before they are
transported makes them a manufac-
tured product. 1t has also ruled
that tobacco that has been dried
by artificial means; buttermilk, pas
teurized milk. cracked corn, and
spinach that has been washed and
bagged are subject to the commits
sions control"
Examples Offered. S..
Under this reasoning, he argued,
any agricultural product on which
labor is performed or mechanical
skill applied to eliminate Lnuseakle
portions of the product, thus be-
comes a manufactured product and
subject to ICC regulations.
Further, Mr.. Thatcher said, when
a new trucker applies for a permit
to operate a certain route he finds
it already in use by another truck
company and his request is denied.
This. he said, has the effect of
creating little monopoly rights"
over public highways and limiting
the f1exibility of routes over which
trucks may travel.
the commission has been generous
In allowing trucking lines to make
one increase in rates after another
without even having public hear
ing
Opening of Case Asked.
Mr. Thatcher's organization Joined
the Agriculture Department and
other interested organizations in
asking the ICC to reopen the
washed spinach case and open up
for discussion the whole field of
what farm products should be
exempt from control
The agency agreed to rehear-
ing. No date has been set. but it
will be some time after Septem-
ber 10.
Mr.. Thatcher said his association
will present its views fully at The
hearing, help bring witnesses from
over the country and contact farm
organizations and interest them in
the case.