BULLETIN OF THE 



No. 191 



Contribution from the Office of Markets and Rural Organization, 

 Chcirles J. Brand, Chief. 



March 19, 1 91 5. 



DEMURRAGE INFORMATION FOR FARMERS. 



By G. 0. White, Transportation Specialist. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 1 



Definition and history of demurrage 1 



The farmer's interest in demurrage 2 



Regulation by the States 3 



Interstate regulation 4 



Provisions of the uniform demurrage code ... 5 



Exceptions to the uniform code 9 



A general survey of State codes 10 



"Reciprocal demurrage" 12 



Other pre visions of the State codes 14 



Special features of State codes 16 



Demurrage bureaus 18 



Conclusion 20 



Appendix 23 



INTRODUCTION. 



The ptirposo of this paper is to present a digest of the demurrage 

 laws and regulations that are in effect in each of the States on both 

 intrastate and interstate trafl5.c. As indicating how the agTicultural 

 industry is affected by existing regulations and practices in the matter 

 of car supply and the marketing of farm products, the salient points 

 of each code have been compared and contrasted, one State with 

 another, and the State codes with the uniform code or national car- 

 demurrage rules. For ready reference the principal provisions of the 

 various codes have been tabulated and are included in an appendix. 



DEFINITION AND fflSTORY OF DEMURRAGE. 



Demurrage is a term applied originally before the days of railroads 

 to the money penalty collected for undue delay in discharging the 

 cargo of ships. It is to-day applied also to the charge made by rail- 

 roads against shippers for the detention of cars beyond a certain 

 specified time, called free time. The collection of demurrage was fii-st 

 Lnaugurat<jd in the United States about 1887. From its being applied 

 first by a few roads at badly congested terminals it has com© to be 

 applied universally on all roads at all stations. 



Note. — TliLs bullcHn, whilo lntf;nflcd especially for fannfirs and .shlpfx;r3 of farm products, should Ijo 

 of Interest to shipfjfiri of all comtnodltkis and to traiwportatlon men Konorally throughout tho entlro Uull<od 

 Btatfis. 



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