The morning news., 1888-08-25
SEEKING LOWER RATRS.
Melon Growers IN Conference With the
Ra!iroad Officials.

melon Growers IN conference Win INC
Bailroad Officials.
The executive and transportation COM
mittee Of the Southern fruit growers asso-
citation was in conference yesterday with
General Manager Haines OF the Savannah,
Florida and Western railway and General
Manager Belknap of the Central railroad.
The following gentlemen composed the COM
mittee: j. w. Haygood, Esq, OF Monte
yuma, j. L. Hand OF Pelham, J. G. Mccall
of Valdosta, Col Nelson Tiff Of Albany, and
j. r. Forester of Albany.
The object of the conference was
10 arrange, il possible, With
the railroads for quicker transportation,
! better cars and reduced rates. The COM
mittee claims that 1t is the case in many
instances that hundreds of carloads of mel
onS shipped from Georgia TO the northern
markets are refused, owing to the condition
the melons are in when they arrive there.
This, the committee says, is due mainly
to the unnecessary delay which the
cars are subject TO en- route. Another
very important item is the kind of car that
the railroads furnish. The growers have
been forced TO use box cars, unventilated,
owing 10 the scarcity of ventilated cars in
tle south, and the result in nearly every
case has been damaging to the growers
interests. The committee also asked that
the present established rate be reduced one
third. 1t claims that the present rate on a
carload OF melons to the north is discourag
ing to the shipper, and that the future Of
the melon crop in Georgia depends entirely
on modification of the present rate and
the facilities for transportation.
The average cost of transporCatin2 a car
Of melons to the northern markets is about
$50, one third of which the growers insist
is al over charge. Tie average retail
price Of a car load of melons in good con-
dition in the markets north is from Sl15 to
Sl20; leaving a net Cf about S25 or $50 for
the grower. This does not include the cost
of raising the fruit
A MORNING NEWS reporter saw Mr.. j.
w. Haygood, of Montezuma, ard Col.
Nelson lift of Albany, after the conference,
and they were highly pleased with the
manner in which they had been met by the
railroad authorities and their offer to CO.
operate in securing reduction OF the rate,
aad also in securing better facilities. for the
handling Of the crop
The Savannah, Florida and Western rail-
way will shortly have about 400
ventilated cars at the disposal
of the growers, and the Central
railroad will have about 500. Col. Tiff said
that the Central will convert all their box
cars into combination cars, 80 that they can
and in the summer, during the melon sea-
son, as ventilated cars.
The question of uniform weights came
up and was thoroughly discussed.
The shippers are required to pay
freight on 10000 pounds to the car,
destined to points in the state; or when
loaded in cars of the Savannah, Florida
and Western Railway or Central railroad
for markets north. If foreign car is used
the shipper is required to pay freight on "a
600 pounds to the car. The shippers claim
that this is very unsatisfactory. The
railroad officials assured the committee
that uniformity in the car capacity will
be secured. They also assured the commit
tee that there will be no discrimination or
refusals on the part of railroads to transport
melons over any other line than their own.
If the Central railroad receives a carload of
melons it will transport it to New York or
any point the consignee wishes, instead of
only TO points on its line.
While no definite action was taken yes
terday, it is understood that the conference
is the beginning of reform in the trans
portation of the melon crop. The railroad
officials have invited the committee to at
tend a meet ng Of the Southern railway
and steamship association. to be held in
Atlanta next Wednesday. 1t is presumed
that the conference win be discussed and
several important changes in rates Of trans
portation, ETC., will be made.