on different commodities of commerce, the existence of a different classification of any article on different railroads means, generally speaking, a different rate charged for transporting it. Unifying the classification would mean, therefore, a change in the rate. The carriers in making the change might very well, in adjusting the general average of charges, protect themselves, to a large extent at least, from the loss arising from reductions on certain commodities. But the business interests of the different communities to be affected, having no means of recovering by increased prices on one line of goods the losses they might sustain by reason of increased traffic charges on another, might frequently, for a time at least, suffer serious detriment from the change.

The Commission summed up its conclusions on this subject in the report for 1888 as follows:

(1) Uniformity in classification, as fast and as far as it can be accomplished without serious mischiefs, is desirable.

(2) There is gratifying progress in the direction of unification, and it has been very marked within the last year.

(3) So long as the carriers appear to be laboring towards unification with reasonable diligence and in good faith, it is better that they should be encouraged and stimulated to continue their efforts than that the work should be taken out of their hands.

(4) In view of the mischiefs that would flow from sudden changes, ample time should be given for the purpose.

Uniform classification can only be wisely and safely made by careful study and deliberate action, and the adjustment of rates to it needs corresponding caution and deliberation.

The carriers certainly could not fairly infer from this language that the Commission intended to abandon the efforts it had since its organization persistently made to bring them to act upon this important subject. Yet during the next year no very great progress was made in the direction of uniformity, and in the opinion of the Commission no proper effort was made by the carriers to that end. Something, it is true, was accomplished by the absorption into the three principal classifications of the country-namely, the Official, the Western, and the Southern Railway and Steamship Association-of the special and exceptional classifications existing in the territories respectively covered by those principal classifications.

But in its annual report for 1889 the Commission, in reference to the progress made by interstate carriers in the matter of uniform classification, felt it proper to say:

It is to be regretted that the results attained have not been equal during this period to what the indications then existing led us to expect might be accomplished at the time of the presentation to Congress of our second annual report.

In September, 1888, shortly after the announcement of the failure to consolidate the Official and Western classifications, the attempt at which has been referred to above, a resolution was introduced and passed in the House of Representatives directing the Commission

prior to January 1, 1889, to prescribe one uniform classification of freight for the use and guidance of the various railroads of the United States engaged in interstate commerce. The resolution, however, failed in the Senate, representations having been made that if the railroad companies were given further time they would obviate the necessity for Congressional action. The failure of this resolution to pass the Senate was a circumstance which the Commission did not regret, since it appeared then, as it does now, that the action desired could be taken by the railway authorities themselves, if they could within any reasonable time be induced to act, with much less risk of injury to the financial interests of the carriers and of the public than would probably attend the efforts of the Commission or any other public agency to establish a uniform classification.

Prompted, partly perhaps by the disposition thus manifested in the popular branch of Congress and urged thereto by the pressure constantly brought to bear by the Commission, or it may be in the general interests of commerce and with a view to the benefits to be ultimately derived by the carriers from uniformity in classification, a call was issued by the leading traffic associations in November, 1888, for a conference of railway representatives upon this subject. The conference met in Chicago in the following December, and from the general attendance upon it appeared to promise good results. Eight traffic associations were represented-the representatives coming from the Pacific States, the South, the West, the Middle, the East, and New England. Nothing was done by the conference itself further than to pass resolutions to the effect that greater uniformity in the classification of freight is both desirable and practicable, but that the magnitude and diversity of the interests involved are such that strict uniformity can not be reached by forced or hurried measures, without injury to business, while it may be approximated by frequent conferences and constant effort on the part of the carriers. The conference, however, appointed a standing committee, composed of two members from each of the traffic associations, for the purpose of unifying as rapidly as possible the several classifications in force. This committee was instructed "to endeavor to combine the existing classifications in one general classification by the use of such number of classes as will prevent conflicting commodity as well as class rates in the several sections of the country, without sacrificing the proper interests of the carriers."

This committee met in Chicago in February, 1889, with a full representation either in person or by proxy, and remained in session seven days. But nothing practical was accomplished. The same question between the interests of the East and the West appears to have divided the committee as resulted in the failure of the previous year's conference. The Western representatives claimed that they had not sufficient representation on the committee, and an adjournment was had to meet in New

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 thatThe 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