22 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



direction of C. W. Throckmorton as traffic man- 

 ager ; thus the bureau has been in operation 

 for about five months, since which time every 

 matter pertaining to raiiroads and ti-ansporta- 

 tlon that has been brought to the attention of 

 this committee has been referred to the traffic 



F. W. LAWREJNCE. BOSTON. TRUSTEE. 



manager. Mr. Throclsmorton of his own voiition 

 has aiso talien up several large questions vigor- 

 ously witli the railroad and transportation com- 

 panies. The report recommended that the 

 bureau be not employed as a general collection 

 agency, but only the claims be referred to It in 

 which difficulty was experienced In making col- 

 lection of just claims. Beyond this claim and 

 collection work the principal duties that have 

 been undertaken thus far are calling the at- 

 tention of railroads to the furnishing of car 

 stakes and open cars and to getting railroads to 

 Issue orders to their weighing masters to make 

 proper allowance for the weight of these stakes, 

 which are held as being a part of equipment. 

 The result has been that most of the roads 

 south of the Potomac and east of the Mississippi 

 have is.sued orders in accordance with our re- 

 quest, while the roads north of the Potomac 

 and east of the Mississippi have not issued such 

 orders, notwithstanding the rule in the official 

 classification, which seems to make such an al- 

 lowance imperative. The report shows that the 

 cost of the bureau amounts to about $15 for 

 each member. 



The question of a proposed uniform bill of 

 lading which the railroads proposed to put 

 Into effect several months ago was refi;rred to 

 George H. Holt of Chicago, a member of this 

 committee. Mr. Holt gave the matter much at- 

 tention, and the Intei^State Commerce Commis- 

 sion deemed the matter of sufficient importance 

 to hold a special meeting in the city of Chicago, 

 and Mr. Holt represented the association there. 

 Mr. Holt's sub report states that "the vigorous 

 and effective measures originating in the West, 

 which embrace a large number of commercial 

 organizations acting together through conven- 

 tions, committees and paid attorneys, have re- 

 sulted In very important gains to the commercial 

 Interests of the country. Only those who have 

 been In close touch with this movement have an 

 adequate conception of how important it is and 

 how great a peril has been averted for the time 

 being, with good prospects that the proposed 

 action will be permanently defeated." Mr Holt 

 continues that the Indorsement of the proposed 

 uniform bill of lading was a deliberate and 

 highly expert attempt to arbitrarily limit the 

 liabilities of common carriers under the form 

 of a contract which would be legally binding. 

 and by this means to prevent the collection of 



claims for loss and damage made by shippers, 

 and to a great extent wipe out former rights 

 under which shippers have heretofore collected 

 millions of dollars of just claims. 



Report of Traffic Manager. 



C. W. Throckmorton, traffic manager of the 

 Railroad and Transportation Bureau, submitted 

 the following report : 



I have received 172 claims from forty-three 

 members of the association amounting to $4,- 

 369.41 since Sept. 19. when 1 was appointed. 

 Ninety per cent of these claims were old ones, 

 which had been pending for some time, and 

 which had been declined by the railroads. The 

 active work of this depai-tment did not really 

 begin until Oct. 1 ; but, in this report, when 

 speaking of October, I include the last week in 

 Septe.mber. 



During October there were 37 claims made 

 by this department against different railroads ; 

 in November. 43 ; in December. 61 ; in January, 

 19, and in February, 12 (up to Feb. 21). 



No claims were collected by this department 

 during the month of October, but during No- 

 vember two were paid, which amounted to 

 .$34.25 : in December three claims were paid, 

 which amounted to $46.97 ; in January seven 

 claims were paid, which amounted to $71.33 ; in 

 February nine claims were paid, which amounted 

 to $180.39, making the total amount collected 

 to date (Feb. 21) $332.94. 



When you take into consideration the fact 

 that out of the claims paid, four (4) only had 

 not been declined by the railroad, previous to 

 their being sent to this department for collec- 

 tion, you will understand the kind of work that 

 this department has been doing. 



X 



GARDNER I. JONES. BOSTON. 



You will note that the number of claims col- 

 lected each month has increased and that the 

 number of claims Hied with this department has 

 decreased. While the llrst condition is as it 

 should be. the latter one Is to be deplored, and 

 I hop* that the members will see their way to 

 ale more of their claims through this depart- 

 ment. 



2. In response to circulars sent out bv 

 this department I have received estimated 

 weights from nearly all the members, covering 

 rough lumber, and have under preparation a 

 schedule, which will be mailed to the different 

 members for their approval in the near future. 



3. I have had up several rases of discrimi- 

 nation In rates, and am pleased to advise that 

 in some cases I have been more or less success- 

 ful ; for Instance, the Atlantic Coast Line has 

 been in the past routing all unrouted shipments 

 of lumber from Carolina points on their line, 

 destined to Pennsylvania points west of Pitts- 

 burg to Wheeling on the Pan Handle, and from 

 Pittsburg to Bellalre on the C. & P. via Rich- 

 mond, under a 2 cent higher rate than would 

 have applied if they had routed them via Vir- 

 ginia cities under a combination of locals. This 

 has been a grievance of the Pittsburg people 

 for some time, and the Atlantic Coast Line has 

 invariably refused to settle claims based on 

 combinallon of locals as against their through 

 tariff via Richmond. I am pleased to advise 

 that Mr. Brand, in response to communication 

 from this office, advised on Dec. 20 that he was 

 about to Is.sne. and would distribute in the near 

 future, a tariff applying from said Carolina 



territory to territory in question, via P'ttsburg 

 and the Norfolk & Western railway, which 

 would insure unrouted shipments moving via 

 that gateway, and taking a 2 cent lower rate 

 than formerly. 



In another case, which I have pending with 

 the Illinois Central railroad, I have been ad- 

 vised by the general freight agent that they 

 are now considering revision of rates, and will 

 try and adjust them on a proper relative basis 

 when conclusions are reached. Of course, this 

 Is still pending. 



I have several other cases of discrimination 

 up in which decision is still pending. 



In the case of advance of rates on cypress 

 lumber from New Orleans and seaboard points, 

 via the Morgan line, it was originally contem- 

 plated making an advance of 3 cents per hun- 

 dred pounds : but. through the efforts of this 

 department, the Southern Pacific railroad made 

 advance of 2 cents instead of 3 cents per hun- 

 dred pounds. 



I have now under contemplation a plan to 

 do away with all estimated weight claims 

 against various railroads. In my opinion all 

 carloads of lumber should be weighed twice, and 

 the weight that more nearl.v coincides with the 

 estimated weight of the lumber in the car should 

 govern. With this in view. I strongly advo- 

 cate a return postal card system, b.v" which 

 shippers can be advised by the agent at desti- 

 nation from the manifest billing, several days 

 before car actually arrives, just what the billed 

 weight and rate of car in question is. It, on 

 receiving postal card, shipper discovers that car- 

 load is overcharged in weight, he should imme- 

 diately order it re-weighed, and get a certificate 

 of weight from the agent, showing weight over 

 scales at destination. If this weight agrees ap- 

 proximately with his estimated weight, he will 

 have no trouble whatever in collecting claim 

 against the roads interested. In this connec- 

 tion would say that one railroad has already 

 promised to advise the shipper of any shipment 

 which is routed over their line, the billed weight 

 and rate of car, and, on request, has promised 

 to reweigh cars with the view of ascertaining 

 the exact weight. 



I have also done considerable work with the 

 uniform B/L. which. I am pleased to advise, 

 has been practically abandoned by the railroads. 



I have also devoted a great deal of time to 

 the question of allowance of weight for racks 

 used on flat or gondola cars, when loaded with 

 lumber, and I am pleased to report that, 

 through the efforts of this department, the roads 

 operating under the southern classifliatlon. viz., 

 ail lines operating south of the Ohio and Po- 

 tomac rivers, and east of the Mississippi, have 

 amended their lumber tariffs, making an allow- 

 ance of five hundred pounds weight tor stan- 

 dards, strips and supports used on flat or gon- 

 dola cars when loaded with lumber It is need- 

 less for me to call the attention of the members 

 to the fact that this means a concession of 

 ipractically $1 per car by the roads in question 

 on all business moving from their territory to 

 points north of the rihici and Potomac rivers. 

 What this means to Inmbei- interests, in actual 

 dollars saved per year. I am not In a position 



C. W. THROCKMORTON, TRAFFIC M.\N- 

 AGER. 



to slate. I may say, however, that I have In 

 my possession letters from numerous members 

 of the association, and I beg leave In quote 

 extracts from some of them. One lirm writes, 

 "We ship from four to eight cars per day, on 

 which it is necessary to use standards"': an- 

 other firm writes, "From one mill alone In the 



