Every carrier subject to the provisions of this chapter which shall fail and neglect to furnish cars to applicants in accordance with the application therefor, and as provided in section 6 of this chapter, shall forfeit and pay to the applicant the sum of one dollar ($1) for each car for each twenty-four (24) hours, or the major part thereof, that the delivery of the same shall be delayed beyond the date when the cars were required to be furnished; provided, that such forfeiture shall not accrue if the carrier shall show to the satisfaction of the court or jury trying the cause that it did not have the cars in its control at the time they were required for delivery, and that, for a reasonable time prior to the failure and at the time of the failure, it had made and then made a bona fide and reasonable effort to supply its line with the necessary car equipment to care for the traffic then on its line and such future traffic as it could reasonably anticipate would be offered for shipment.
IC 8-3-2-8