The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-05
STIRRED UP OVER RATES.
MELON GROWERS ALARMED AT
THE THREATENED ADVANCE.

The Southern Railway and Steamship
Association Rates the same as Last
Year, But Some Connecting Lines
West Want Them Put Up - No
Change in the Plant Systems or the
CentraPs Rates - The Trouble on
Western BusinesA
The Georgia watermelon growers seem
quite perturbed over possible increase in
freight rates. With the assurance that the
freight rates would be tho same this year as
last, they say they planted an increased
acreage In January, at the meeting of the
melon growers, the railroads were generally
present and the question was put to the
railroad men whether or not the rates
would be The same on roads south of the
Ohio river this year as last, and. relying
upon the sincerity of the affirmative answer,
they planted heavily. They announced at
the January meeting that an increase il
rates would bring a corresponding decrease
in acreage
The rate COMMITTEES of the Southern Rail-
way and Steamship Association sent out a
short time ago sheet OF rates TO all western
points based on an average OF eight mills
per ton per mile. The connecting railroads
not IN the Southern Railway and Steamship
Association demurred to these rates. They
acceded to the rates the year previous
under protest, and the Southern Railway
and Steamship Association had great diff
Guilty in getting the western roads to accede
to eight mills rate. These roads outside
OF the association, 1t is understood, claim
that they had put the association on notice
that they would not accept the rate this
year.
FIGHT BETWEEN THE ROADS.
The principal connections which are be-
lieved to be demurring to the s mill
rate are the Louisville and Nashville and
the Queen and Crescent, neither Of which
are members of the Railway and Steamship
Association, and the fight appears to be be-
tween the association on the one hand and
the two roads mentioned and their connect
ing lines TO the west and northwest.
1t is understood that the western roads
want the rate fixed at ten mills per ton per
| mile. an advance Of two mills per ton per
mile, or SIS per car. A carload Of melons
weighs about 1900 pounds and contains
1000 melons, SO that the freight advance
means about l Il cents per melon. As the
melon growers expect to market 1C, 900 cars
Of melons this year this would mean
| $4,000 advance in freight rates. Whether
| this would seriously affect the melon grow
ers remains to be determined.
Arailroad man said last night: whether
| the melon growers will suffer loss by the
increase proposed if it should be insisted
| upon, will depend upon whether the melons
will have corresponding increase in mar
ket value. OF course the greater distance
freight is carried necessarily there must be
some Increase in its market price, other
| wise there would come time when crops
| carried exceedingly long distances could not
be profitably marketed"
THE PLANT SYSTEMS RATE.
Traffic Manager Chas. D. Owens of the
Savannah, Florida and Western Railway
says that there will be no increase in the
| freight tariff over the Plant lines of rail-
ways. 81 do not think there is any COM
plant upon the part Of the melon growers
with our system" ne said. "rheir interest
is so largely in affinity with ours that we
| naturally desire to aid them in profltably
| marketing their crop. Mr.. McCrea,
| president of the Melon Growers associa-
| ton, suggested to US that we accept
the certificates of their sworn .weighers in
the weights of melons, they proposing to
weigh the melons in wagons on platform
scales put in at the shipping points over
our lines of railway. We cheerfully &C
| ceded to his request, and contributed our
influence with other lines in getting them
to do the same thing.n
| General manager II. y. f1dlneS says tnaI
there will be no increase in the eight-mill
rate to the east, although the Savannah.
| Florida and Western, Charleston and Sa-
vannRh, and Atlantic Coast Line are not
members of the Southern Railway and
Steamship Association.
NO INCREASE BY THE CENTRAL.
1t is learned that the Central system will
make no increase over last years. rates.
| The Central is member of the association,
which is opposed to the 2mill proposed ad-
| vance.
| 1t has not yet been determined to raise
| the tariff, but there will be a meeting Of the
railroad men at Louisville during tnis week,
at which the subject will be discussed, and
when the melon growers will ask to be
| heard.
The melon crop will begin to 60 forward
| about the second week in June, and as the
shipping time is near at hand, the agitation
of increasing the freight rates 25 per cent.
has made the melon growers quite indig-
| nant.