262 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
REPORT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE 
By D. S. LAKE, Chairman 
Your committee finds the transportation situation about 
the same as last year. Few changes have taken place. 
Uniform classifieation continues to be the most important 
question agitating the shippers today, therefore, we will 
deal with that first. The twenty-fifth annual report of 
the Interstate Commerce Commission has an article on the 
subject, also the National Industrial Traffie League, which 
we reproduce below in full: 
UNIFORM CLASSIFICATION 
(By the Interstate Commerce Commission) 
“What was said in our twenty-fourth annual report on the subject 
of uniform classification could now be restated as to the present situa¬ 
tion, substantial progress along that line having 
been made by the carriers. 
The work is of great importance, involves 
multitudes of interests, brings out many differing 
and conflicting views, and is necessarily slow. 
This subject has been considered from time to 
time by the National Association of Railway 
Commissioners, and that association at its last 
convention adopted and approved a report of a 
committee in which it was suggested that in the 
work of preparing uniformity of ratings for uni¬ 
form classification by the carriers, much of mis¬ 
understanding and many objections which would 
otherwise arise would be avoided or averted if a 
representative of this Commission were to sit with 
the carriers’ committee, without vote. 
We think that the experiences of the past 
justify the conclusion that if uniform classification 
were today agreed upon by the carriers and the 
shippers, competitive influences and the desire for 
traffic would soon destroy that uniformity unless 
it were supported by the force of authority in 
law to require adoption, maintenance, and obser¬ 
vance thereof. 
We think also that the stimulus of a manda¬ 
tory requirement in law should be provided. 
We recommend the enactment of a requirement that the carriers 
shall, within five years from the effective date of such law, provide 
and adopt a uniform classification and that in the preparation of some 
one or two representatives of the Interstate Commerce Commission 
be empowered to require the adoption, maintenance, and observance 
of such uniform classification on the part of all carriers within the 
purview of the act, subject of course to such amendments as may be 
from time to time approved by the Commission.” 
UNIFORM CLASSIFICATION 
(By the National Industrial Traffic League) 
“This committee having in mind the action taken by the League 
at its meeting held in Chicago on July 12, 1910, endorsing a uniform 
classification as to description of articles, package requirements, mini¬ 
mum weights and rules, with the understanding that the work of the 
Uniform Classification Committee, together with the proposed changes, 
would be subject to review and that the shippers would have an oppor¬ 
tunity to present their objections, present the following report and 
recommendations: 
It has been the generally accepted idea that the work of the Uniform 
Classification Committee, when completed in whole or in part, would 
be submitted to the general shipping public in concrete form, so that 
they might know and be fully informed just how commerce would be 
affected by the proposed changes, and that all would be given an op¬ 
portunity to be heard before the final adoption thereof. 
This is confirmed by the following extract from the report of the 
Committee on Uniform Classification of the National Association of 
Railway Commissioners: 
(In its 1910 convention, this Association recommended that the 
Interstate Commerce Commission take the necessary steps to secure at 
as early a date as practicable such uniformity in classification rules 
and regulations as the Act to Regulate Commerce makes it the duty 
of the carriers to establish and observe, and to give ai.i. interested 
PARTIES AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD BEFORE THE ADOPTION THEREOF.) 
Inasmuch as the work of the Uniform Classification Committee 
is to submit proposed changes with its recommendations to the several 
classification committees for adoption, and inasmuch as these recom¬ 
mendations are being quite generally adopted by 
the Official and Western Classification Committees, 
not only as to uniformity in the description of 
articles, package requirements, et cetera, but also 
as to ratings, and the shipping public is not 
being afforded a sufficient opportunity to be heard 
on these matters; and inasmuch as in the Southern 
Classification territory no knowledge whatever is 
given to the shipping public as to the proposed 
changes, and the opportunity afforded for those 
directly concerned; therefore, ■ 
This League enters a protest against the presen t 
method of procedure, and recommends that the 
Interstate Commerce Commission be memorialized, 
with the view of having that body bring such 
influence to bear as will result in giving greater 
and sufficient publicity to the proposed changes 
in order to secure a uniform classification. 
Whereas the Uniform Classification Commit¬ 
tee submits to the various Classification Com¬ 
mittees periodically their recommendation’s as the 
work progresses, and as the carriers have seen fit to 
very generally adopt the recommendations sub¬ 
mitted, the shipping interests ask that as the 
recommendations of the Uniform Classification 
Committee are agreed upon that they may be submitted monthly for 
the consideration of the shipping public by publication in some recog¬ 
nized medium, such as the Traffic World and Traffic Btdlelin, and 
that the-shipping public be given an opportunity to file with the 
UNIFORM CLASSIFICATION COMMITTEE, IN WRITING, any objections which 
may present themselves, with causes in support thereof in opposition 
to the proposed change, for the further information of the committee 
in making their final recommendations. 
It is also recommended that when the report of the Uniform Classifi¬ 
cation Committee is sent to the carrier for adoption, same be placed in 
the hands of the shipping public through the medium of a docket in 
the usual form at least 30 days prior to the meeting of the classification 
committee before whom same is to be considered. 
It is also recommended that the Interstate Commerce Commission 
arrange that all of the classification committees shall provide for public 
hearings on all subjects to be considered by the several classification 
committees at their meetings, and that 30 days’ notice be given of the 
subjects to be considered.” 
The following on the same subject, is from the railroad 
news of the Globe Democrat, August 14, 1911: 
SHIPPERS URGE UNIFORMITY 
“An appeal may be made to the Interstate Commerce Commission 
to hasten the work of obtaining uniform classification of commodities 
D. S. LAKE 
