The End of the Wool-Loading Perk

The Eastern railroads have issued orders to their Western freight agents that hereafter they will not load wool for buyers or shippers, and it is expected that Western roads will follow their lead. In the struggle for business, the agent of one road offered, some years ago, to load the wool. This brought his road so much business that other roads were forced to make the same offer and the custom became universal. The agent would take the buyer's checkbook, receive, pay for, and load the wool, without trouble or expense to the buyer. The railroads have considered this a grievous burden, borne only because it must be. When the Elkins law was passed, some one brought up the contention that this loading of wool was illegal, being a discrimination under the section of the act to regulate commerce. Whether loading wool is the sort of discrimination contemplated by the law or not is a question that has not been settled, but it seems to suit the railroads to think it is, and they are about to abolish the practice and compel a return to former methods. A prominent wool buyer when asked what effect this new ruling would have on the price of wool, said that loading the wool was a regular item of expense, but that the railroads had relieved the wool buyer of it. This left him free to offer more for the wool. If the buyer must load his own wool he cannot afford to pay as much to the producer, and on him the loss would fall. As the matter now stands, it seems as if the railroads are going to shift the burden of the expense of loading wool onto the shoulders of the producer. This is regrettable, but no remedy seems likely and as usual the wool grower must pay the bill.