York in the following June. By that time the representatives of several of the Western and Southwestern associations had withdrawn from the committee. The remaining members, after inviting those who had withdrawn to return, but without success, held a four days' session at Saratoga in September, and a session of one day in New York during the same month. Subsequently the committee met in Washington City from the 19th to the 23d of November, 1889, but accomplished apparently nothing of any consequence.

The entire time devoted by the committee during nearly a whole year to the prosecution of the great work set before it was thus, it will be observed, only about fourteen days, and those not days of consecutive effort in a single place, but at various times and places, for the most part widely separated.

The effort made seemed quite inadequate to the magnitude of the work to be accomplished. The list of articles to be classified embraced nearly six thousand items, the proper placing of which would in many cases involve protracted discussion. The membership of the committee was composed for the most part of general freight agents of various lines, and the excuse made for their short sessions was the pressure of the engagements and responsibilities incident to their official position.

The Commission was unable to entertain the opinion that the excuse was sufficient to justify the committee for its failure to devote more time to the work, or to accomplish at least some permanent and valuable results. And in this connection the following language was used in the annual report for 1889:

While it is true that it does require men of judgment and experience, well versed in freight matters and in the business and interests of localities, to perform well the task of preparing such a classification, yet it would not seem to follow that the only person possessing such experience and capacity that could be found to represent each of the great freight associations would necessarily be a general freight agent; and if it be considered that the general freight agent's presence is necessary in the work of such committee, then it does not appear to follow that some other suitable arrangement can not be made by the carriers for the place of the general freight agent being properly filled by some other competent person, temporarily, while the general freight agent is engaged in the important work of preparing a uniform classification to be submitted to the carriers for their approval or rejection. A work of this character and importance, in view of the provisions of the act to regulate commerce and the general interests of the country, should be made the subject of more than a few days' meetings at long intervals from time to time during the course of a year. When such a report is made as a recommendation it will doubtless undergo then most careful scrutiny and revision at the hands of the carriers and will be antagonized in many instances by local and special interests; and while this is a reason that it should be well and carefully prepared in the first instance, it is also a controlling reason that it should be framed at as early a period as it can reasonably be done.

The Committee on Uniform Classification did not, however, entirely disband, but proceeded with great zeal on the part of some of its members to meet from time to time until June, 1890. Meantime a portion of the members from the West and Southwest, who had formerly with

drawn from the committee, resumed attendance upon its sessions. Finally on the 21st of June, 1890, at a session in the city of Buffalo, a report and classification was agreed on for submission to the associations represented. These were the New England Freight Association, Central Traffic Association, Western Freight Association, Mississippi Valley Railroads Trunk Line Association, Southern Railway and Steamship Association, Trans-Missouri Association, and Southern Interstate Association. To these organizations, covering, as indicated by their names, far the larger and most important portion of the traffic of the whole country, the report and classification agreed on by the committee was at once submitted.

This report was full, able, and candid in all respects, in fact an admirable document. It reviewed the history of the committee's work and the many and serious preplexities which had beset it. The necessity for greater uniformity was freely admitted; the continuous operation of the interstate commerce law, it was said, made this plain.

In deference thereto, and also to meet the demands for through lines, it became essential to facilitate the quotation of through rates between points far removed. This could most readily be done by the issuance of tariffs governed by one classification. If two or more classifications were used, resort must be had to numerous commodity tariffs. Morever the disparities encountered proved annoying to shippers and embarrassing to the roads. The public failed to perceive, nor was it always possible to explain, why articles of common use should be classified differently, east and west or north and south of certain dividing lines. Demands for greater uniformity in the classification of freight and the rules governing its transportation had been so frequently voiced that they could not be ignored. At the same time members were mindful of the obligations imposed by their official relations, hence they labored assiduously to preserve the revenues of the carriers, while they endeavored to deal justly with the public.

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Yet, "while at no time forgetful of the interests they usually represented, the desirability of also regarding matters from a national rather than a sectional standpoint predominated."

Referring to the instruction given the committee "to endeavor to combine the existing different classifications in one general classification," it was said:

That instruction your committee kept steadily in mind, and having confined themselves to classifications with which they were familiar, instead of venturing into unknown depths in the way suggested, they are enabled to affirm with more certainty than might otherwise seem proper that the adoption of the proposed classification will not result as the alarmists fear, nor will it involve the roads in sacrifices they can illy afford to bear.

A scheme for the establishment of a permanent organization, to have charge of the classification and changes therein, was also presented. Finally the principal recommendation of the committee was that—

The uniform freight classification be adopted for the government and use of the railroad and steamship companies comprised in the associations and territories herein before named, that it be made effective January 1, 1891, and that meetings of the different associations or carriers directly concerned be called as soon as may be convenient for the consideration of this report.

The circumstances under which this report originated and was adopted, the qualifications and official positions of the members of the committee which framed it, its very explicit declaration of the need of reform in the matter of railway classifications, the assurance of the committee that the reform proposed by them would not involve the roads in sacrifices they could ill afford to bear, and the committee's earnest recommendation of the proposed uniform classification for adoption by the carriers, naturally led to the belief that favorable action would be taken upon it.

This Commission, in its annual report for 1890, therefore declared that a very long step had been taken towards the final accomplishment of the great work of unification, and "with the highest gratification affirmed its confidence that the time is not far off when one classification of freights, for the purpose of rating for transportation by rail, will cover the whole territory which is subject to the Constitution and laws of the United States."

Public indulgence on behalf of the carriers was again asked during the trying period of transition from the old to the new state of things which was expected to follow upon the taking effect of the proposed uniform classification. And it is believed that the public was and is prepared to suffer the evils necessarily attendant upon the change, looking to the ultimate general benefit to be derived from it.

In States where, in pursuance of legislation, classification has been established by public authority, an evident disposition was shown to facilitate the general reform by conforming the State classifications to the uniform standard proposed. The Railroad and Warehouse Commission of Illinois, for example, notified the carriers by circular that— The commission will at an early day adopt their tariff of rates to said classification, and cause the same to be printed, together with said classification, and furnished to the several roads of the State before January 1, 1891, as provided by law.

The difficulties of the situation rendered it expedient in the opinion of the carriers to postpone the time for the taking effect of the new classification till March 1, 1891, and meantime some of the traffic associations found in it objections which appeared to them insuperable, so that when the 1st of March came nothing had been done. About that time the term of the House of Representatives expired, and the session of Congress came to an end, and along with it came to an end all further effort on the part of the carriers towards a uniform classification. The position of the Commission and of the carriers upon the subject, as well as the history of the progress by which that position has been reached, has been set forth above with some detail in order that the whole matter may be in definite shape before Congress for its consideration.

The progress and present status of the several systems of freight classification in the United States, both in their relations to each other

and especially as regards the working and effect of the several systems within the territories to which they respectively apply, are treated quite fully in a report made to the Commission, under date of November 26, 1890, by its auditor.

This report is published as Appendix C in the annual report of the Commission for 1890. It presents some of the benefits to commerce which have resulted from the harmonizing of classifications which has already been accomplished since the organization of the Commission, and suggests the further benefits likely to follow upon a more complete unification.

This report or statement shows that the three principal classifications of the country are still those heretofore named, and the territorial limits of whose operation have been described, namely, the Official, the Western, and the Southern Railway and Steamship Association Classification.

In each of these territories, however, there exist certain local and independent systems of classification more or less in conflict with the principal system. These, it was hoped, would all be superseded by the proposed new uniform classification. Their existence, of course, is a constant source of embarrassment. Of the general situation in this regard it may be said that, while it is a great improvement on that of five years ago, it is still very far from being satisfactory.

The commercial organizations of the country have taken up the question with great earnestness, and the commission has received communications and resolutions from many of them asking co-operation on the subject of legislation in the direction of uniform classification which they purpose asking Congress to enact.

The following is a sample of the resolutions referred to, being those received from the Indianapolis Board of Trade:

Whereas the commercial necessities of the nation demand that the relations between common carriers and the public be in all respects so simplified as to avoid misunderstandings, misconceptions, or injustice;

Whereas in the direction of securing clearness of understanding as to respectivo rights of carriers and shippers, the first step seems to lie in the establishment of uniformity in bills of lading and of classifications;

Whereas the carriers of the country being apparently unable to agree among themselves concerning the methods whereby such uniformity can be secured:

Resolved, That the Senate and House of Representatives be, and hereby are, earnestly requested to take such measures as may in their judgment seem proper, to compel the carriers of the United States to furnish all shippers a uniform bill of lading in which the common law liability only of said carriers shall be expressed, and the early establishment of a uniform classification, the rules and conditions of which shall be just and reasonable.

Resolved, That the Senate and House of Representatives are hereby requested to accord to the shipping interest a hearing by representation from the National Transportation Association.

Resolved, That the coöperation of the Interstate Commerce Commission in the establishment of these principles is urgently requested.

These resolutions, it will be observed, have in view uniformity in bills of lading as well as in classification, and dwell upon the necessity of the former as well as of the latter.

The question of bills of lading will be treated further on in this report.

• In complying with the duty imposed upon it of making recommendations to Congress in regard to additional legislation deemed necessary, upon questions connected with the regulation of commerce, the Commission is, as respects the matter of uniform classification, relieved to a considerable extent of the embarrassment it would otherwise feel by the action already taken by the carriers.

Its conviction remains unchanged that the necessities of commerce require that the existing classifications be consolidated, and that this result should be accomplished as speedily as may be found practicable; and it does not feel justified in asking for the further efforts of the carriers the same measure of indulgence which from time to time it has heretofore suggested should be extended to them, and which was thought to be required in the public interest.

The fact that representatives of the carriers of various sections of the country which now make use of different classifications have met and maturely considered the subject, and have agreed that consolidation is highly important, and have fixed upon a general basis for it, which has been accepted by a large majority of the carriers, has greatly lessened the difficulties in the way of legislative action. Uniform classification, in view of the action taken by so large a majority of the carriers, can no longer be considered impracticable.

The Commission can not but think that if legislation to that end be enacted by Congress the carriers will speedily consummate the reform already begun in this direction. It is therefore recommended that an act be passed requiring the adoption within one year from the date of its passage of a uniform classification of freight by all the carriers subject to the act to regulate commerce, and providing that if the same be not adopted within the time limited, either this Commission or some other public authority be required to adopt and enforce a uniform classification.

The Commission desires to repeat, what it has in substance said before, that it is its firm conviction that no public agency can possibly be so competent to deal with this question as the carriers themselves. The existing classifications are the result of long study in immediate practical connection with the transportation interests of the different sections of country represented by them, and the experts who have made them, have, in gradually bringing them to the condition in which they are now found, represented quite as much the conflicting and competing interests of different sections as they have the conflicting and competing interests of the carriers themselves. Any tribunal which S. Mis. 31- -3