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34 IN T E R S T A T E COM M ERCE C O M M ISS IO N REPORTS. I motion w eighing may be done w ith practical accuracy, and the authority should therefore extend to the prescribing o f the particular cases, or rather the particular classes, o f scales upon which cars may be weighed in a given manner. Th e second source o f error is in properly balancing the scale and in transferring the record from the scale, and this depends upon the person who does the weighing. T o what extent should the weigh-master be under government direction? W e have seen that elevator weights o f grain are usually accepted not only fo r the assessment o f freigh t charges, but in the merchandis­in g o f the grain itself. A s a rule the weighmasters in elevators are appointed by some chamber o f commerce, m unicipality, state, or other public authority, it being recognized that where the weights are to be accepted and acted upon by persons who can not be pres­ent at the w eighing the weighmaster ought not to be an interested party, but should rather be a representative o f public authority. I t is our impression that, while' the weighmaster is appointed by some public authority, he is usually paid by the individual requiring his services. W e have seen that the carriers themselves form associations fo r the supervision o f the w eighing o f freight. Th is is partly fo r con­venience and partly to prevent discrimination by im proper collusion between railroads and shippers. These associations appoint the weighmaster, even though his services may be paid fo r by some individual railroad company or some industry. I f the government is to supervise railroad scales w ith a view to obtaining accurate results, the authority must extend not only to the scale but also to its operation, and in that the weighmaster plays the most conspicuous part. W e do not suggest that all weighmasters should be appointed or licensed by the government, but we do think that there are points at which, and perhaps circumstances under which, official weighmasters should act, and that the power should exist to appoint such persons and determine their sphere o f action. W e have seen that one o f the most prolific sources o f error is the w rong stenciling o f the tare w eight o f cars. A car may undoubtedly vary somewhat in Weight from week to week, according to climatic conditions, and therefore, when possible, the car should be weighed both ligh t and loaded at that end o f the route at which the w eight is to govern. This, however, in the great m ajority o f instances is impossible. Th e stenciled tare w eight must be accepted, and it- is extremely important that this w eight should be as accurate as pos­sible. W h ile the stenciled w eight never can be made absolutely ac­curate, there is no excuse fo r the wide element o f error which now exists. 2 8 1, o. C. I t is apparent that the only means o f correcting an erroneous sten­ciled w eight is by a proper reweighing o f the car, and carriers gen­erally concede that i f it were practicable a reweighing ought to be had at certain definite intervals. Some railroads have to-day in effect a rule requiring all cars to be reweighed, usually within a period o f two years, but such rules in the past have been mainly honored in the breach. I t is insisted that no similar rule can be properly observed, since no carrier under the system o f car exchange now in vogue can hope to have upon its road every two years its entire car equipment. I f it be assumed that cars can only be weighed ligh t and restenciled by the road owning the car, then certainly it would be extremely d if­ficult to secure a rew eighing every year or every two years even, but i f the suggestions already made are adopted there is no necessity that every railroad should light-weigh its own cars. I f scales are located at proper places which are tested and operated by government officials there would seem to be no reason why the tare weights o f cars m ight not be corrected upon these scales, and in this event it would be comparatively easy to test the tare w eight o f every car at least once in tw o years. In our opinion the fo llow in g rules should be adopted: (a) Reweigh every car w ithin one year from the date when it is put into service; (b) rew eigh every car after it undergoes substantial repairs; (c ) reweigh every car at least once in two years. Th e "transaction is usually closed before the dispute as to the weight o f a shipment begins. Th e car has been unloaded and go n e; there is no w ay in which the truth o f the matter can be determined and this leads to much friction and hard feeling. Take, as an illustration, the shipment o f a carload o f lumber from some southern point o f production to a northern point o f consump­tion. This lumber is sometimes and perhaps usually sold f. o. b. desti­nation. Th e consignee pays the freigh t upon the arrival o f the lumber, deducts that amount from the invoice, and remits the balance. Suppose, now, that the car is weighed at point o f origin, en route it is reweighed and advanced 5,000 pounds. Th e shipper has no knowledge o f this advance until he receives remittance from his vendee, when it is too late to examine into the circumstances o f that particular case. W h at applies to lumber applies, in perhaps a less degree and with less frequency, to various other commodities. Much trouble would be avoided i f the interested party could be notified before.the car was received and unloaded o f exactly the amount upon which freigh t charges were to be assessed and given an opportunity to make what­ever claim he desired in respect to w eight before the unloading o f the car. This would be not only a matter o f justice to the shipper 28 I. C. C. ^ I N RE W E IG H IN G OF F R E IG H T B Y CARRIER. 35