HARDWOOD RECORD 



25 



the manufacturers of shuttleblocks. They are now learning better. 

 The makers of parquet flooring are glad to get the dark-colored 

 heart-wood of persimmon to work in with their maple, oak and other 

 whiter woods. 



An average shuttleblock is about seventeen inches long and two 



and a half inches square. The finished shuttle is usually tipped 

 with steel. Metal has been tried for the entire shuttle, but it has 

 "been pronounced unsatisfactory. If a steel shuttle is made light 

 enough for service, it is liable to buckle under the blows of The 

 pickersticks. 



■^ml!>tOTait viWimj>^liltroy;il;)MiTOiOTi^^ 



Discrepancies in Car Weights 



At the meeting before Commissioner Prouty of the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission in St. Paul on September 13, a great many irregu- 

 larities in the weighing of freight and freight cars by carriers was 

 shown. The Grand Rapids Lumbermen 's Association is responsible 

 for the instigation of this investigation, which began several weeks 

 ago. The work, however, has broadened beyond the limits of lumber 

 shipments and now embraces shipments of all kinds of merchandise. 

 The St. Paul hearing was called for the specific purpose of 

 accurately checking the ratio between the tare weight of cars as they 

 are stenciled and their actual weight. The methods in vogue of 

 weighing carload freight also received some attention. It was a 

 remarkable fact that only one shipper appeared on the stand, and 

 Ills testimony was devoted chiefly to the ef- 

 fects that weather has ou actual weight of 

 cars. Most of the witnesses were either rep- 

 resentatives of railroads or of the Western 

 Weighing Association. 



Commissioner Staples had the stand during 

 the morning session and testified according to 

 the work of the Jlinnesota Commission, which 

 has had jurisdiction over freight weighing in 

 tbe state of Minnesota since the legislature 

 of 1907, and also has supervised railroad 

 scales. Commissioner Staples reported that 

 the commission has weighed 10,967 cars, of 

 which only 506 had the Correct stenciled weight 

 on them ; 6,254 cars i\eighed in excess of the 

 -stenciled figures and 4,207 cars weighed less, 

 according to the witness. The overweight on 

 cars ranged from 20 to 12,000 pounds, while 

 the figures showed that 261 cars belonging to 

 one road had an aggregate overweight of 143,- 

 700 pounds. The logical inference is that 

 shippers pay a great many thousands of dol- 

 lars overcharges. The witness testified that 

 he has found hearty co-operation from the rail- 

 roads in his efiiorts to correct stenciled 

 weights, and to repair and standardize scales. 

 A considerable amount of information was 

 brought out liecause of the fact that while 



the investigation was carried on according to regular form, anyone 

 present wag allowed to ask questions. 



In his testimony Commissioner Staples read some statistics cover- 

 ing the work during the five years of the commission's activities in 

 the super\-ision of track scales. He gave the number of scales owned 

 by his road; the number of changes made and the result of such 

 changes. In one instance a short weight of 18,100 pounds was found 

 in a track scale, owing to binding. This is liable to cause, according 

 to the speaker, either over-weight or under- weight ; in running the 

 car on the scales the impact might readily drive the platform down 

 so that it would not return, or the binding might be so great as to 

 prevent the platform from responding to the full weight of the car. 

 It was suggested by the examiner that it would be wise to notify 

 shipper immediatel.y after a car is weighed in order that he might 

 enter any claim which he had while the carload was intact. This 

 suggestion met with approval, and Mr. Staples further suggested that 

 the original tare weight of cars should be determined and stenciled 

 on the ear under the supervision of the public service. He further 



suggested that these stenciled weights should be corrected at frequent 

 intervals by means of oflScial scales inspected at various points. 



P. P. Eainor of the Western Railway AVeighing Association was 

 led to testify that his association has been a profitable organization 

 from the railroad standpoint. The point was raised that inasmuch as 

 the association was really favorable to the railroads it would seem 

 reasonable that they should weigh all merchandise. The witness 

 answered this, however, by stating that this would be impossible 

 owing to the probabilities of its congested traflSe. The witness further 

 stated that with modern coupling devices, the frequent practice of 

 weighing cars uncoupled, and while in motion, is sufficiently accurate. 

 J. S. Foster of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road testified 

 tor his road. He stated that ou the division 

 of that system under his jurisdiction are em- 

 ployed five scale inspectors. These inspectors 

 ai-e instructed to test scales every ninety days, 

 and in Minneapolis they are further assisted 

 by the state commission with its test car. 

 Mr. Foster testified that the practice of his 

 road is to weigh cars without uncoupling, but 

 that they are brought to a standstill on the 

 scale. All ears are reweighed and restenciled 

 after they come from the repair shop. Mr. 

 Foster stated that in his opiniou the weighing 

 of cars while in motion is inaccurate. 



Regarding stencil weight on cars, the St. 

 Paul road reweighs all cars every two years, 

 and if there' is a variation iu the stencil 

 weight of five hundred pounds they are re- 

 stenciled. 



C. M. Boyce of the Western Weighing Asso- 

 ciation stated that an industrial scale is usu- 

 ally more accurate than railroad scales, inas- 

 much as they are more frequently inspected. 

 Track scale service in Minnesota, according to 

 the speaker, was better than that in almost 

 any other state in the Union, because of the 

 rERSIMMoN- TREE IX THE OHIO VALLEY; "^'"^^ °^ ^^^ Minnesota State Commission. 



DIAMETER SIXTEEN INCHES -^- W. Trenholm, general manager of the 



(See page 24) Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha 



Railway, testified that out of 5,598 reweighed ears ou his road in the 

 last two years there was an aggregate weight of 1,181,260 pounds over 

 the stencil weight, and 1,836,619 pounds less than stencil weight. Cor- 

 rections in increase in weight ran from 20 to 490 pounds, and in de- 

 crease from 40 to 2,200 pounds. This witness also highly endorsed 

 the Minnesota commission. 



Mr. Trenholm stated that wherever cars of lumber passed over two 

 sets of scales they are cheek-weighed, and if there is a variation of 

 one thousand pounds they are weighed a third time. 



There is something materially wrong with the saw that needs water 

 while at work. To free the teeth of gum or resin three drops of 

 turpentine or paraflBn are of more use than three gallons of water. 

 Some operators use water' to prevent the heating of saws while at 

 work. Where such makeshift methods are practiced it simply indicates 

 the defective condition of the tools and a deplorable lack of effi- 

 ciency on the part of the saw trimmer. 



