Smyrna times., 1875-08-25

AN EFFORT TO GET PEACH FRE1GHTs RI
DUcED.-Early last week, during the fearful
peach glut, when the shippers were losing
50 heavily, meeting was held at Middle
town to see if there could not be sometime
done besides letting the fruit rot On the
trees. Pickers, wagons and baskets had
been engaged and the crop has to foot the
bill, IN the main, but it cannot do il bv
rottlng IN the orchards. 1t was thouobt
that, lnasmuch as the R. r. Co. was getting
the Lions share" it might reduce the
ireights. So the meeting appointed a COM
mttee to see if reduction could not he
ELECTED. On Friday this committee went
to Philadelphia and had conference with
Mr. Hinckley, President of the P. war
K. K. The following gentlemen composed
the committee: Robt. II. Cummins, Henry
a. Rowland, Samuel Pennington, Jonathan
Williams, John Cochran, S. F. Sballcross
and ). X. Ellison. They laid the matter
before Mr.. H. and told him that it cost
them more to get their peaches to New
York than they would sell for after thew
reached there; told him what a vast
interest the crop was both to them and the
railroad, and told him that to foster that
interest the r. R. Co. must reduce the rates
OF shipment. which was the only road ont
OF their present dilemma. They said that
II the present rates were continued tbev
would have to stop shipping, which would
De as bad for the r. r. Co. as for the grow.
ers. They therefore suggested a reduction
to $50 per car from Middletown and nro
rata for other stations.
Mr.. Hinckley took an entirely different
view from that held by the committee He
thought 1t would be a kindness to the
growers to increase the rates rather than
lower them, and was of the opinion that
they suffered not alone from high rates
Out from the immense crop, and the shin.
ment OF so many inferior peaches. He
reviewed the rates of shipment on his road. |
which, since 1869, had been reduced from
81 cents to 10 cents per basket from Mid. |
dletown, and over so per cent. from Seaford
lie seriously thought the reduction of rates
by the p, W. & B. R. r. had much to do
with inducing the growers to raise the
present enormous crop, and felt that the
present peach glut in New York wouId
never have occurred had the rates Of 1880
been retained.
MS plan was to prevent the glut in New
York, and to this end he suooasted +ha+
the rates be reduced to the West. His
opinlon was that a reduction of rates n
these other markets would soonest and
most eiiectually relieve the glut in the New
ork market, by leading the shipments
more generally into other channels. Iftbe
Ne" York commission merchants get their
peaches any cheaper than at present then
they can successfully compete with tho
growers in other markets. The nrorar
plan would be to raise the New York rates
ana reduce the Others. II the New York
market Is glutted other markets will bo
and so the rates to New York must bo
Kept up or the peaches held back. Hevas
IN iavor OF reducing the rates of transporta.
'ioh TO distant markets, East and West
ana agreed to make liberal reduction fot
least % per cent? if the other railroads
would pro-rate with in such reduction. IL,
furnished the committee with letter To a
,. Cassatt, of the Pennsylvania Railroad. in
which he heartily urged a reduction of
'hrough rates to Chicago and other Western
markets. and agreed to cooperate in anv
eifort which might be made in that diroc.
-oh. The committee acceded to Mr.
Hnekiey's view of the case, it is said. and
vent to call on Mr.. Cassett but he was not
home.