254 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
From ivailroad news, Globe Democrat, November 16, 
1913; 
“Uniform Glassification Work 
“Vice President George F. Randolph, of the 
Baltimore and Ohio, who attended the meeting of the 
Executive Committee on uniform classification, com¬ 
posed of railroad olTieials who are working upon a 
plan to bring about uniformity in the classification of 
freight shipments, stated yesterday that the commit¬ 
tee is making rapid progress in its work, and that to 
the present time the Olfieial Southern and Western 
Classification committees have adopted 56 per cent, 
of the classilications recommended by the uniform 
committee. The deliberations of the railroad com¬ 
mittee are of absorbing interest to shippers, the pur¬ 
pose being to standardize the regulations governing 
the shipping of articles to and from different ter¬ 
ritories. “The work of the Uniform Classification 
Committee is in response to a demand of the public,” 
said Vice-President Randolph, “and considerable 
headway has been made despite the fact that many 
difficulties and jierplexities have been encountered. 
In arriving at a common basis governing a uniform 
classification, it has been necessary to study the rate 
(juestion, industrial matters, the markets of produc¬ 
tion and consumption and many other phases of the 
transportations of freight in order to arrive at con¬ 
clusions fair alike to all sections. In arriving at the 
best results it has been necessary to secure close co¬ 
operation between shippers and the railroads, and 
the approval of the Interstate Commerce Commission 
at the same time.” 
From the Traffic World, April 11,1914: 
Senate Classification Hearing 
“Chairman of the various classification commit¬ 
tees appeared on Wednesday before the Senate Com¬ 
mittee on interstate and foreign commerce in oppo¬ 
sition to bills authorizing the Commission to make a 
uniform classification for the entire country. R. N. 
Collyer of the official committee was the first witness. 
He said that the committees are working toward a 
uniform classification just as fast as the public and 
the Commission will allow them. He cited the sus¬ 
pension of Western Classification No. 51 and the 
opinion expressed with regard to it as the best evi¬ 
dence in support of his contention that the commit¬ 
tees already in existence are working as fast as 
shippers throughout the country will allow them. 
With respect to No. 51 he called the attention of the 
senator^ to the fact that the Commission had advis¬ 
ed the Western committee that it ought not to give 
the result of its labors to the public in such large 
doses, hut, on the contrary, should proceed with the 
subject in more detail so as to allow those concerned 
to digest the production instead of asking them to 
consider an immense volume such as No. 51 was. He 
was followed on the stand by Chairman Fyfe of the 
Western and Powe of the Southern.” 
From railroad news. Globe Democrat, April 29,1914. 
“Uniform Classification: 
Washington :—Uniformity of railroad freight 
classification would be provided in a bill favorably 
reported by a subcommittee to the House Interstate 
and Foreign Commerce Committee today. The bill 
w'ould empower the Interstate Commerce Commis¬ 
sion to prescribe “just and reasonable classification 
of freight, both individual and joint, applicable on 
interstate commerce throughout the United States.” 
The Interstate Commerce Commission has urged 
such legislation.” 
Change In Classification Meetings 
Heretofore the Western and Oflicial Glassification 
Committee have held semi-annual meetings at different 
points in the country, which has proven so unsatisfac¬ 
tory, both to the railroads and shippers, that a change has 
been made, and now the Western and Official hold daily 
sessions throughout the year, the Western headquarters 
being at Chicago, and the Official New York City, which 
is a great benefit to all ship])ers as jiropositions that show 
up can he submitted to the (hassilication Boards any time 
and results secured without waiting six months or a year. 
No douht the Southern Classification Committee will 
make the same change. 
Release Clause : 
Some nurserymen continue to hill their shipments 
released to a valuation of $5.00 ])er 100 pounds, or 3c per 
pound, which causes, in a great many instances, controv¬ 
ersy with the railroads in case shipment is lost or dam¬ 
aged, therefore, it will be of great assistance if the nur¬ 
serymen will eliminate the release valuation except in a 
few cases where it is still carried on commodity rates 
that are in effect and on that basis. 
Transcontinental And Northern Pacific Rates And 
Minimum : 
Reports come to the Transportation Committee from 
15 to 20 different sources complaining about the twenty 
thousand minimum as required in the territory men¬ 
tioned above. Your Committee has answered all such 
reports, calling attention to the fact that either class or 
commodity rates can he used, whichever makes the low¬ 
est rate. 
One party shipped a car to Montana, hilled at twenty 
thousand pounds, and commodity rate of $1.25, when the 
class rate of $1.02 and sixteen thousand pound minimum 
could have been used. 
Box Bushes: 
Some of the eastern nurserymen have had trouble 
with shipments of Box Bushes in crates, and the matter 
being brought to the attention of the Transportation Com¬ 
mittee was taken up with the Official Glassification Com¬ 
mittee and effective July 1st the Official Classification 
provides for rating on trees in crates, at one and one-half 
times first class. This is better than double first class, 
hut not as good as the nurserymen expected. 
Lower Rating on Trees, Roots Boxed and Baled. 
The Transportation Committee is going to take up 
with the Uniform Committee on Classification the ques¬ 
tion of trees with the roots boxed and tops baled, which 
rating is desired by the Northern nurserymen, who claim 
it is impossible to satisfactorily box large shade trees so 
they can be loaded in box cars. Your Committee is go¬ 
ing to ask for the same rating on trees boxed wdth tops 
wrapped as is now allowed on trees completely boxed. 
