TWENTIETH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 607 



department of the United States Railroad Administration, if he couldn't 

 do on live stock what he had already done on grain — appoint a committee 

 of live stock and railroad representatives to go into the matter, and Mr. 

 Howard did create such a committee. I see that there are several mem- 

 bers of that committee in the room this afternoon. We held a number of 

 conferences, and finally the committee got together on a report eliminat- 

 ing practically all of these offensive features, and the railroad men and 

 shippers signed up a joint report to Mr. Howard; but when Mr. Howard 

 got the report he wasn't satisfied with it, and he has declined to put it 

 into effect. Just in passing I want you to notice a few of the recommenda- 

 tions that the railroad committee originally proposed: 



"With the view of not depriving the shippers of the insurance pro- 

 tection and privilege, this committee recommends the amending of the tar- 

 iffs to provide a reasonable additional charge which will insure the ani- 

 mals against their inherent weakness, or vices, at their insurable value, 

 providing the same are in physical good condition at the time of ship- 

 ment." 



Again: "The maintenance of drenching facilities at regular desig- 

 nated watering points and the amending of the tariffs to provide a reason- 

 able additional charge to cover the drenching of hogs in transit." 



Again: "The abolition of the practice of shippers or their representa- 

 tives acting as caretakers in charge of ordinary live stock, as experience 

 has demonstrated same does not serve the purpose originally intended." 



Again: "The adoption of a standard form for the presentation of 

 claims for loss and damage to live stock in transit." 



One thing we did succeed in doing, folks, Is that we killed the report 

 of the live stock committee of the railroads. Now as to the future: I 

 think that we ought to ask the Interstate Commerce Committee to pre- 

 pare a uniform set of rules. The large shipper with immense tonnage 

 has a powerful effect on the payment of claims that the small shipper 

 cannot have, and that is an injustice to the small shipper. In the matter 

 of loss and damage claims as it concerns the grain traffic, we have just 

 concluded an extensive hearing and investigation. The Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission has issued its final report; the railroad committee 

 and the shippers didn't get together — separate reports were submitted, 

 and the Interstate Commerce Commission has adopted the substance in 

 toto of the shippers' committee recommendations. Probably a third of 

 you are interested in shipping grain, and for you I will make a brief 

 statement. As you know, the railroads have been declining to pay 

 claims on clear record cars. The commission, in their opinion just ren- 

 dered, hold that the clear record of the car should not be controlling. 

 The railroads have been making a fight to discredit automatic scales, 

 but the commission declines to approve that position of the railroads. 

 Further, the necessity to prove negligence on the part of the carrier has 

 been eliminated. Further, there is not the legal obligation on the ship- 

 per to reject an unsuitable car. Further, the railroads are trying to 

 eliminate the hammer test. The commission condemns their position on 

 that proposition. It is to be hoped that the shippers of the country will 

 observe the recommendations of the commission as to the construction 



