THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
652 
REPORT OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE OF 
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN 
FOR THE YEAR, 1909-10 
W. P. Stark, Chairman 
Mr. Chairman and men of the Association: 
In submitting the following report of work accomplished 
by your Transportation Committee during the past twelve 
months, I do so feeling that every member of the Associa¬ 
tion will be gratified at the showing. Speaking broadly, 
this year’s effort on the part of the Transportation Commit¬ 
tee shows more tangible results than in the past. This, I 
attribute not only to the hearty co-operation of the members 
of the Committee itself, but of the Association as a body. 
The principal items of interest to the Association will be 
found in the report of results accomplished at the Western 
Classification Meeting at Charlevoix, Michigan and at San 
Antonio, Texas; of reductions in rates to Pacific Coast inter¬ 
mediate points; of a notice to nurserymen regarding the 
threat of railroads to raise rates if claims for lost or damaged 
shipments are presented in excess of $5.00 per cwt.; of work 
with the Official, Uniform, and Illinois Commissioners classi¬ 
fications, and of work done in cultivating the acquaintance 
of railroad men. 
CHARLEVOIX MEETING 
At the meeting of the Western Classification Committee 
held at Charlevoix, Mich., in July last, the Transportation 
Committee was represented by Mr. Charles Sizemore, Traffic 
Manager of Stark Bros., of Louisiana, Mo. There was noth¬ 
ing on the docket of direct interest to nurserymen other 
than Rule 8, Page 3 of the Western Classification, which 
effects the minimum on shipments loaded in refrigerator 
cars, which when more than one car and not enough for two 
cars, the part lot takes the local rate. (This would not 
effect nurserymen except those west of the Mississippi 
River). Since imported seedlings are received during the 
winter months when refrigerator cars are necessary, it was 
asked that this rule be changed so that the excess of one or 
more cars would go at the car rate, with the result that the 
Western Trunk Line Committee advised that they would 
arrange to have the tariff so corrected that the part lot could 
go at the car rate, which would be satisfactory to interested 
parties. 
While at Charlevoix, Mr. Sizemore also took up the ques¬ 
tion of rates on west bound nursery stock of less than car 
load lots with the result that effective December 6, 1909, new 
tariffs were issued showing the same rates on west bound 
nursery stock as on east bound, which made a saving to the 
nurserymen, varying from 20c to $1.15 per cwt., and more 
in a few cases. 
SAN ANTONIO MEETING 
Mr. W. C. Reed of Vincennes, Indiana and Mr. Sizemore 
attended the meeting of the Western Classification Commit¬ 
tee held at San Antonio, Texas, in January. While the 
docket of this meeting contained nothing of interest to the 
nurserymen, it was felt that the presence of the two repre¬ 
sentatives was highly profitable to the Association, because 
of the resulting extension of friendships and the widening of 
acquaintances among the railroad men. 
$5.00 VALUATION CLAUSE 
At the request of the American Association of Nursery¬ 
men, the $5.00 valuation clause refreight claims was 
eliminated from the Western Classification at their January 
meeting in Mobile. Since then it has developed that a 
number of claims were presented to railroads which showed, 
in many cases, a valuation running as high as $20.00 per 
cwt. It is suggested that all claims for lost shipments be 
entered on a very reasonable basis. As failure to do so may 
bring on the threatened advance in rates. 
I 
PREPAYMENTS 
Rule 16-B of the Official Classification provides that nur¬ 
sery stock on which prepayment is required, may be for¬ 
warded on the guarantee of the consignor that freight and 
charges will be paid at destination. Very few railroad 
agents appear to be familiar with this rule and it continually 
happens that shipments from nurserymen are held up at 
Chicago, East St. Louis, or other junction points on account 
of charges not being prepaid. This point we took up with 
Chairman Holbrook of the Official Classification, who re¬ 
quested dates of shipments which had been held up and then 
went vigorously after the roads, calling'their attention to 
Rule 16-B. It seems that Mr. Holbrook’s work was 
thorough for since that time none of our shipments have 
been held up and we presume other nurserymen have like¬ 
wise felt the same pleasing result of this work. 
AGITATING A NEW RATE ON DORMANT ROSES 
In response to complaints from eastern nurserymen on 
paying the same rating on imported roses as on plants, they 
claiming that dormant roses should be classified the same as 
shrubbery, we took the matter up with Chairman Holbrook, 
but our efforts were in vain. Mr. Holbrook stated that if 
the nurserymen insisted that the shrubbery rating 
should also apply on dormant roses, they would be com¬ 
pelled to advance the rating on all lines of shrubbery. The 
next meeting of the Official Classification will be held some¬ 
time in August, and suggest that if the nurserymen interested 
desire this subject taken up at that meeting, that we will 
have some of our railroad friends place it on the docket. 
UNIFORM CLASSIFICATION 
We have been in constant toiich with the Uniform Classi¬ 
fication Committee during the past twelve months. Mat¬ 
ters of general interest to nurserymen have been gone over 
and discussed in detail with two members of the committee 
who seemed disposed to grant the nurserymen anything in 
reason. They were of the opinion that the three cent value 
now required by the Southern Classification is unnecessary 
and we do not believe it will be incorporated in the Uniform 
Classification. A uniform rating on bales, that will be 
satisfactory to the nurserymen, will be secured. 
CARLOAD MINIMUMS 
One of the most important features under the subject of 
Uniform Classification is that of minimum weights. Mr. 
Elmer H. Wood, of the Uniform Classification Committee, 
believes that a minimum based on the cubic feet area instead 
