Milford chronicle., 1889-03-08


were a gridiron system, are nou-paying. It
is fact that all the Peninsula branches out
side Of the Delaware road haYe lost consider
able money during all these years. The
question is not who built these branches,
whether the Pennsylvania built them or
bought them; the question is, do they pay
Before these roads were built, the perishable
freight on the Peninsula wasa matter Of CON-
parative insignifcance. They had only the
uncertain outlet Of the river boats. What
there is Of il to-day has grown up largely by
reason of the railroad IN the means which
1t afforded for its transportation. This rail
road system has opened up market aiter mar
ket, making it profitable to grow perishable
fruit
It has been further admitted by a number
of Witnesses of the complainants that much
of the fruit has become profitable through
corporation process which has been de-
velOped since 1876 the year alluded to as a
test of what the Peninsula would produce in
peaches. It is further IN evidence that since
1873 the acreage in peaches has been largely
increased. Ia the light of this aud in the
light OF the other fact that evaporation has
been developed since that time, what be-
comes of my brothers argument that the
Ieach industry Is crippled by the railroad
management Of the Peninsula, which in his
language IS a "blight more blighting than
the yellows p Notwithstanding the rates OF
freight,o which they complain here 1t is a
conspicuous fact that the growers have in
creased their acreage.
They claim that the railroad has crippled
and killed peach growing in New Castle
county. Why, it IS IN evidence that peaches
no longer thrive in New Castle county. In
the parlance Of Delaware the peach belt has
moved southwark. The soil in the upper
county has been robbed Of the elements that
produce peaches.
The official figures Of the shipments Of
fruit during certain years have been quoted
aud deductions made to the effect that the
small number of carloads shipped during
certain years was due wholly to the belief
on the part of the growers that the railroad
could not handle full crops, These figures
teach something else. They show that the
peach crop is very uncertain In 1875, the
big year, there were shipped 9,o72 carloads
in 1870, 2,I76 in 1877, 4,oo3 IN 1873, 500
in 1879, 4,33I IN 1882, 5,I62 in 1880 1855;
in 1857, I,4I4 aud in 1888, 5.2go carloads.
When there was no crop the complaiuants
tried to make it appear that what was the
matter was the inability Of the company to
carry the fruit.
The complainant assumes to compare the
Justice Of the rates on this traffic with rates
on traffic which cannot be properly compared.
The testimony shows too, that this is not a
complaint against the reasonableuess Of the !
rate per Sc, but against the reasouableness Of |
the rate coupled with the conditions or
promptitude of delivery In view of the
time Of delivery" said they 1--WE think the
rate unreasonable. Again il is not fair to |
complain Of 20 cents per hundred for peaches |
because grain is shippedsat 10 cents per hun |
dred In the FIRST place there are more
pounds Of grain in a car than pounds of
peaches. Second, a grain car comes back |
with suother loading, while a peach car
comes back empty. Third a carload ofgrain |
does not have to be taken into market at a
certain definite hour. Grain costs about $40 |
a car, peaches about $50 to ship.
There is a fallacy III the theory that the |
complainauts have tried to impress upon this |
case, namely that if the frrit always reached |
the market at the earliest hour demanded, it |
would uniformly bring that certain higher /
price which it had often brought at the earl /
lest hour over similar fruit deposited there /
at a later hour. Sometimes the market was |
glutted to begin with, and often the latest
shipments got the biggest prices. The New /
York commission men have a selfish motive 1
in demanding all the shipments at the earl |
lest hour as that enables them to earn their |
profits in a much briefer space of time than /
if late shipments follow the earlier ones. |
Mr. Massey doubted seriously, that in view /
of the quality of the article to be shipped and /
Of the time in which it must be transported, /
there was common low duty requiring any /
carrier to take such traffic. Ofcourse, when
a carrier has assumed to carry this perisha-
bic freight he must deliver il according to |
the contract. But the conditions of its car
riage are so exacting, that it is doubtful If he
can be constrained TO carry it At all. Special
attention must be paid moreover, to this class
of freight, often to the injury Of the general
traffic of the carrier. The preparation for
this service is also wholly exceptional The
preparation must be made for a crop which
frequently fails, aud thus imposes an unnec-
essaTy or useless expense. One year there
are shipped over 5000 carloads, while the
next year the crop falls below 2, 600 carloads.
In 1857 there were shipped I,4I4 carloads Of
peaches There were prepared for this har-
vest 745 cars, during period Of two months
This shows the exceptional character of the
service. The company must keep we'll
stocked sidings, waiting for a demand, often
Of only four hoHrs. Even change in the
weather, such as will hasten the ripeniug Of
the fruit, will make an extraordinary demand. L
In 1882 each car prepared for this traffic Hade :
four trips 800 cars carried S, 2o5 carloads.
In 1887 each car 5i6a mi26de ewo trips-7I3 cars
carrying I.AIf cars Q
It IS Conceded By the company that the v
eTvice was often late during strawberry sea a
ons but the company made diligent effort P
D improve its service, and it is in evidence 5
hat it was much improved in 1888 When g
mere is good market the lateuess of the 5
-ains, occasionally, makes no difference. It P
epends after all upon results and not so c
iuch upon the service as to whether com +
laint Is made c
Again, cars of fruit are often consigned to u
istant points, even to g. Louis, which the
lmpany must deliver at the shortest posi- K
le notice, at the contracted rate of speed. u
It is in testimony further that the commits IL
on men, who come to Delaware and there St
-eate a home market, paid as much for the a'
uit at Wyoming, for example, as the fruit
rought in New York city, and yet not one nj,
them appears before this commission to ,,
lake complaint. They are satisfied with the r
.rvice. There is evidently a conflict be- ~
Veen the commission man and the agent -
no makes the home market. The latter
as paid more money to the grower and X
ance the former must find a reason for his q
sadvantage in comparison with the local cr
lyer, He therefore blames the carrier. II III
significant also that leading growers, Alex br
lder Cummins, John w Causey, DR.. Hugh er
artiu and others hud peach growing profit la
'le, while those who do complain even have az
.en steadily increasing their plantations de- ne
lite the alleged exorbitant rates. Mr. Mas n,
y spoke for an hour and quarter. ii
Judge Logan of Philadelphia followed Mr. on
assey's exhaustive presentation of the bs
Company's case. The judge Pr
He'd attention to three points offered by the
mPlainants, namely Whether or not the
mpany's service was adequate second,
iether or not the rates were reasonable for
rishable freight; and third, whether or not pr,
was Just to charge more for this traffic than alb
trathc OF different quality, and also for his
icrimination in rates. The main evidence tut
oduced IN respect to tardiuess of service OBJ
IS confined to 1857. In respect TO 1888 the col
timony was very shady. Had this case i'll
pped with the testimony there would not rol
a single serious proposition before the bu
As to 1888 the proof shows for
It the berry movement was satisfactory Pie
d that of peach were more so. This law is -
gely supported by letters from commission