12 BULLETIN 191, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



handled in the South, and 14.90 per cent of the total handled in the 

 West. These territorial divisions correspond roughly to the country- 

 east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio and Potomac for the 

 East, south of the Ohio and Potomac and east of the Mississippi for 

 the South, and west of the Mississippi for the West. "Agricultural 

 products," as used here, include grain, hay, tobacco, cotton, fruits 

 and vegetables, live stock, and wool. 



"RECIPROCAL DEMURRAGE." 



As the business of the country increased and the supply of cars 

 grew relatively less, it became imperatively necessary to take some 

 steps to increase car efficiency. Old regulations were more strictly 

 enforced and new regulations more stringent were put into effect. 

 Shippers came to a realization of the fact that duties and responsi- 

 bilities as between themselves and the railroads were mutual. They 

 argued, "If we are penalized for delaying cars — that is, withholding 

 them from other shippers who need them — the roads should be penal- 

 ized for delay in furnishing cars — that is, withholding them fi'om us 

 who are shippers and need them. Let us therefore have ' reciprocal 

 demuiTage.'" The unparalleled car shortage of 1906 gave point to 

 their arguments and the "reciprocal demurrage" laws of 1907 and 

 subsequent laws and regulations are the result, 



"Reciprocal demurrage," so called, is in effect on State traffic only, 

 at the present time, in 21 States. It is provided for by statute in 

 Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, 

 North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Orders of the State 

 railroad commission govern in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, 

 Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and 

 Washington. It is not demurrage at aU within the general meaning 

 of that term, but it is a penalty imposed upon the carriers for failure 

 to perform certain duties or to furnish certain services within a speci- 

 fied time. From the penalty being imposed at first for failure to 

 furnish cars the principle has been extended to cover delay in accept- 

 ing shipments and issuing bills of lading therefor, as soon as they are 

 tendered for forwarding, failure to move shipments at a prescribed 

 minimum speed, failure to give notice of arrival within a specified 

 time, failure to have shipments ready for delivery to consignees 

 within a stated time, and delay in receiving shipments from or deliver- 

 ing them to connecting lines. Practically all the statutes and orders 

 provide that the imposition of the penalties prescribed shall be no bar 

 to the collection of actual damages sustained imder the conmion law. 



The two chief points of interest to shippers in the various "recip- 

 rocal" codes are the time allowed carriers to furnish cars and the 

 penalty imposed for failure to furnish within the time prescribed. 



