of large
dealers at the expense of the small; with it comes organised
speculation and its attendant results, good and evil.

Prior to the completion of the organisation of trunk or through lines,
freight was compelled to break bulk and suffer trans-shipment at the
end of each line, where a new corporation took up the traffic and
carried it beyond. To prevent this breaking of bulk and to expedite
the carriage of freight, fast freight lines on separate capitalisation
were organised. The purpose of the interstate-commerce law is largely
to prevent discrimination and corruption in freight charges, to secure
for every person and place just and equal treatment at the hands of
the transportation companies. The freight rates are arranged and
regulated by the traffic associations, and the various conditions and
compromises necessary have made both classifications and rates about
as complicated as anything possibly could be.

The name DIFFERENTIAL as applied to freight rates refers to the
differences which are made by railroad companies. Certain roads are by
agreement allowed to charge a lower rate than others running to the
same points. To and from each of the eastern cities there are two
classes of roads--the _standard_ lines and the _differential_ lines.
The standard lines have the advantage of more direct connections; the
differential lines reach the freight destinations by circuitous
routes, in some instances by almost double the mileage. With a view to
equalising these conditions the general traffic associations allow the
differential lines to carry freight at a lower rate per mile than the
rate charged by the standard lines.

The transportation business of the United States is so varied and
complicated that a proper study of its freight tariffs and
classifications would require much more space than can be given the
subject in these lessons.

XVIII. TRANSPORTATION PAPERS

The common transportation papers, familiar to all shippers, are the
(1) _shipping receipt_, (2) _bill of lading_, (3) _waybill_.

ORIGINAL RECEIPTS, stating marks and quantities of goods, go with each
separate lot of merchandise to the freight sheds or vessels, and these
are summed up in a formal bill of lading, for which they are exchanged
when all the cases or bundles belonging to the particular shipment
have been delivered. The duplicate receipt, or the part commonly
marked _invoice_, is kept by the receiver of the freight, and the
other end,