THE NATINOAL NURSERYMAN 
281 
of \ 2 yi per cent, or $11.20 per minimum car. If the St. 
Louis to Kansas City rate is set u]3 to 5th class, it will make 
an increase of 13 per cent. If the car rate from New York 
to California is set up to 5th class, it will make an increase 
of S60.80 per car. If from New York to Spokane, it will 
make an increase of S46.40 per car, dnd if from St. Louis to 
Spokane, it will be $46.40 per car. The amounts vary all 
throughout the Western Classification territory according 
to distances and local^rates involved. 
Some of our Southern members have made more or less 
complaint account of the change in Southern Classification 
territory which considerably increased the rates, although 
the valuation clause of 3 cents per pound has been eliminated. 
To illustrate the change in Southern Classification and 
conditions surrounding it, we would call your attention to 
the rates specified above from Chattanooga to St. Louis. 
The 4th class rate was 61 cents, based on a valuation of 
3 cents per pound, which valuation had to be the actual 
valuation of the stock, which all nurserymen knew was a 
false value, as hardly any nursery stock is of that low valua¬ 
tion. In new classification less than carload being 77 cents, 
it shows an increase of 26^ per cent. The old rate carload 
was 40 cents, based on the 3 cent valuation, while the new is 
52 cents, an increase of 30 per cent. While the old classifica¬ 
tion was in effect, legally the only rate that nurserymen and 
railroad companies should have used was second class less 
than carload and 4th class carload, as the actual value of the 
stock shipped was far above 3 cents per pound. 
To explain more fully about declaring a false valuation, 
desire to call your attention to rule 58 of the Interstate 
Commerce Commission which reads as follows: 
“Upon an inquiry from a banking house whether it may lawfully 
declare a value of $5,000 upon a package of negotiable bonds of the 
market value of $10,000 and pay the express charges on the basis of 
the declared value, upon the understanding that in case of the loss of 
the bonds the express company will be responsible only for the amount 
so declared, it was held that a shipper falsely declaring the value of a 
package delivered to an express company for transportation violates 
section 10 of the act.” 
Also rule 295, as follows: 
“Carriers may lawfully establish schedules of charges applicable 
to a specific commodity and graduate reasonably according to value. 
When such rates are published, shippers are entitled to the rate cor¬ 
responding to the actual value of the property offered by them for 
transportation. Shippers are not entitled under such rates to under¬ 
state the actual value of shipments for the purpose of obtaining the rate 
applicable upon articles of less value. The valuation stated to car¬ 
riers should correspond with the actual value as shown by invoices, 
etc. Shippers misstating the value of property for the purpose of 
obtaining the rate applicable to property of less value are guilty of 
misbilling and are subject to prosecution under section 10 of the act 
to regulate commerce.” 
In .view of the above, believe the nurserymen seeured a 
very reasonable rate in Southern Classification when the 
railroads gave them 3d and 5th class accordingly. In view 
of the increase in Southern Classification territory, we 
believe that the nurserymen are now entitled to have car¬ 
load rating stand as it is in the Western Classification 
territory, and when the time comes for making the same 
rating all over the country, believe if the transportation 
committee will watch the subject closely they may be able 
to get 7th class in Official and Southern Territory, as the 
Official territory being the most productive and thickly 
settled can much better afford to go to 7th class than the 
nurser>Tncn take 5th class in the Western, and the Southern 
can stand 7th class carloads, as they have gone from 4th to 
3d class less than carload. 
The following letter from the committee on Unifonn 
Classification explains itself: 
“Chicago, May 24, 1913. 
Mr. Charles Sizemore, 
Stark Brothers’ Nurseries & Orchards Co., 
Louisiana, Mo. 
Dear Sir: 
Referring to your letter of May 9 th. 
For the present, as you know, the duties of this committee are 
limited to the preparation of uniform rules, description of articles, 
package requirements and minimum carload weights. 1 have no 
information as to when the duties of this committee will be enlarged 
to include the preparation of recommendations covering uniform 
ratings or scale of ratings. 
Yours truly, 
E. K. Voorhees, 
For Committee of Uniform Classification.” 
However, regardless of what letter states, and as before 
stated, your transportation committee believes they are 
doing considerable unifying of the ratings. 
Western Classification No. 51 did not make any provision 
for apple and tree seed not otherwise specified except first- 
class, any quantity. Your committee took this question 
up by correspondence with result that supplement No. 6 
to said classification, effective March 31st, which gives a 
rate on tree seed L.C.L. 3d class and carload 4th class. 
The investigation of the express companies and their 
methods by the Interstate Commerce Commission has led 
to some very important changes in their method of billing 
and handling shipments which is a benefit to the -shippers. 
The express companies are now billing through to practically 
all points and a copy of the waybill is attached to each 
package, which prevents shippers from paying charges 
which have already been prepaid. In addition to this, the 
express companies are sending circulars to all of their ship¬ 
pers which read “inspect your labels.” On the circular it 
states yellow labels, and instructs when a party receives an 
express package bearing a yellow label, for him to pay no 
charges, as the charges have already been paid by the ship¬ 
per. White labels show that charges are to be paid by 
consignee, and if a package is received with no label, for the 
party receiving it to pay no charges, and collection, if any, 
will be made thereafter. The above system has been 
adopted by the express companies per the order of the 
Interstate Commerce Commission. 
Bills of Lading; Your committee again desires to 
impress upon the nurserymen the im])ortance of having 
weights shown in each B/L and to mail the original B/L 
for each shipment to consignees, as they will help consignee 
trace shipment from his end of the line and to check shipment 
properly on arrival. 
During the year, several of the members have complained 
about receiving trees billed as dormant which were changed 
by the agents to not dormant, thereby causing the pa^mient 
