Middletown transcript., 1870-09-10
For The Mddletown Transcript.
THE PENINSULA PEACH TRADE.

/ have been written to, several times,
during the present peach season, to know
my opinion why peaches did not bring
higher prices, and why that four cents
carriage was still charged, after the COM
mittee last spring reported it would be
in future charged to the buyer. Having
little leisure, now proceed to answer, or
give my views as to what would be the
best for the trade in the future.
In the first place, Peach Growers must
be true to themselves, and when they APP
point committee to act for them, and
their action is reported and ratified, the
Growers must have the honest manliness
to act up to what they pledge themselves to
do. Last spring, Charles Brown, of Do
yer, H. N Willitts, and myself, were ap-
pointed committee to go to New York and
arrange with the commission men this four
cent charge for carting peaches after they
had been sold at Jersey City We went
to New York, at our oWn erpenSe, for the
good of our brother Peach Growers, and
had determined to meet the commission
men in some public hall, but after seeing
several of them who voluntarily offered to
second our views, it was proposed to us
on the part of the leading statesmen that
we should hold our meeting in an upper
office of Messrs. Combs, Nix d Co. We
held our meeting there, and to every ap-
pearance it was satisfactory The four
cents charge to the Delaware shippers was
agreed to be dispensed with, and that
charge added on to the purchaser at Jer-
sey City. The committee then with sew
eral of the New York statesmen, went over
to Jersey City, and had an interview with
Mr., jackson, Sup't of the R. Road, in
regard to increased facilities for the peach
trade, and we left with the full assurance
of the statesmen and Mr.. jackson, that all
our arrangements should be carried out in
good faith. Some time after, there were
hints thrown out by certain statesmen, that
they would moi carry out the agreement,
and that certain growers would let the
arrangement the committee made, go, and
yield to the superior aoisdom oftheir sales
man. Thus things went on, until a meet
ing was held in New York, and by part
of the very same statesmen who had sol
emnly agreed to charge the carriage to the
buyer at Jersey City, and these men issued
circular to the Delaware Peach Growers
A few days after, our Association held al
adjourned meeting at Mddletown, where
the said circular was criticised, and in the
presence of eight or ten New York sales
men, George W. Cummings, prominen
member of our Association, got up anC
sustained those New York statesmen, VIII,
had repudiated their former agreemen
with the committee, and after the repor
of the committee had been ratified. thu
giving aid and comfort to these salesmel
to break their arrangement, and particu
larly to the men who sold for him. Il
9 make change of the charge of cartin
from Jersey City, it required united ac
ton on our part, and it would have bee
better, that day at Middletown, for tn
Association to have asked Mr.. Cum
mings what he would have taken for hi
crop of, | suppose, five or six thousan
. baskets, and paid him, rather than tn
carriage arrangement should have bee
E broken up.
: But l am one who never gricve aftc
= split milk. l have had to meet the vile
schemes of these peach dealers, years age
when they cntrenched themselves in Phi
adelphia l had to turn their positio
:, and 90 to Jersey City. Now, the mos
y of these statesmen and shippers beyond \
" York, are leagucd together at New Yorl
" "S as they were at Philadelphia.
e What's to be done, to counteract them
- We must hold a meeting in few days ar
10 appoint a committee to go on and get
connection with the Rail Road on the ca
y, side of the North River; that is, get the
10 to extend to the water, and make sli
" There is already such connection at Je
sey City with the water, and by acti
. early it will give time for the Compani
- to build lighters and have every thing
, readiness before another crop of peache
a so that the growers can send cars rig
~ through, without rehandling, to any ci
: or town in New England, and send m
- to all said places to sell our fruit. III
~ -, at once destroys these shippers or midd
~ ~ men beyond N. York, who have conspir
= " to break up our arrangement of chargi
Il, them to cart their own peaches after bu
=" :. ing them in Jersey City. I feel sure IL
~ ~ the pcrfdy of breaking solemn agr'
e. Ct ment, this year, with regard to that fc
'' cent carriage, will turn out in the end
NJ lasting benefit to the peach growers,
~ ~ they will now take effectual means to {
+ stroy it. and the men that tried to hold
Nv up. There should be left at Jersey G
,;o only enough peaches for the New Yc
~ Nv trade, and sheds should he put up by
nn o,' Rail Road Company to accommodate sal
56u men to sell every peach in Jersey City
~ tended for New York. The above refor
INV in the peach trade are necessary, and
- Peach Growers can accomplish them
,h fore another crop.
81 81 The business is getting to be oftoo vast i'm
'ful tance TO trust it to the tender mercies of
to men who will to-day make a solemn bargain
ext the grower and tomorrow repudiate it.
49, thcr bargain should be made with the Rail I
ave Companies in regard to freight. Eighty do
as ought TO he the highest price given for transl
in ing a car load of peaches from Dover to Y
h. The trade is getting to be so heavy and the