licity of
classifications made it difficult for shippers or purchasers to
ascertain in advance what the charges on consignments would be; there
was a constant tendency to increase the number of commodity tariffs,
and unjust personal and local discriminations were in consequence made
more numerous. It became evident that there would be great advantages
in having one uniform classification for the whole United States. This
ideal has not been reached yet, but the number of classifications has
been practically reduced to three--the official, applying to the
traffic north of the Potomac and Ohio and west of the Mississippi; the
southern, in force among the railroads in the Southern States, and the
western, which obtains in the territory west of the Mississippi River.
This amalgamation of the classifications has been brought about
chiefly by the traffic associations and as the result of the enactment
of the interstate commerce law. In order to avoid the discriminations
prohibited by that law it was necessary to abandon the system of a
separate classification for each railway. It is to be hoped that the
attainment of the ideal of uniform classification will not be long
delayed.

THE CONDUCT OF THE FREIGHT BUSINESS OF RAILROADS--TRANSPORTATION
PAPERS

The manner in which the freight business is conducted affords a good
illustration of the high degree of development to which modern
business methods have attained. Freight is accepted by each railroad
for shipment not only to all points on its own system, but also
practically to every railway station in the country, and even to many
foreign cities.

A waybill containing the initials of the number of the car used, the
name of the consignor, the name and address of the consignee, the
description and weight of the articles sent, the freight class and
rate of the goods, and the total amount of freight charges,
accompanies each shipment and is delivered to the agent at the place
to which the goods are shipped.

For the goods thus accepted for transportation, manifests, or "bills
of lading," are issued to the consignor, which, like other
representatives of property, may be transferred by the owner or may be
deposited in a bank subject to draft. Bills of lading are of two
general kinds--"straight consignment bills" and "order bills." When a
straight consignment bill of lading is issued the goods must be
delivered to the consignee or to the person to whom he may order them
delivere