Middletown transcript., 1891-06-04

petition and the charges are placed at
d figure which will suit the company.
If fruit can be carried from Norfolk to
Jersey City at, say one hundred dollars
per carload, it can certainly be car
ried from Delmar to Jersey City for
the same or less sum. The gentle
men who have interested themselves in
this question believed the recent deci-
sion was the beginning Of an era of
justice and right in railroad matters,
and although they believed the relief
granted by the Commission might
justly have been greater they refrained
from further action because they had
good reason to believe that further
agitation Of the question at this time
would lead to bad results.
The gentlemen who worked so faith
fully to secure to the people OF the
Peninsula proper freight rates deserve
the thanks of every farmer and fruit
grower on the Peninsula and they
should be encouraged by every means
within the power of the people they
have asked for nothing but justice and
in any case where their demands have
been unjust they have willingly given
them up. When the Delaware peach
crop was very large, back in the seven
ties, a committee Of peach growers
waited upon Mr.. Hinckley, president
Of the P. w. & B. company, and asked
for reduction in freight charges
they were asked whether or not the
maintenance of charges then operative
would cause them to discontinue the
shipment Of peaches over his road /; the
members Of the committee answered
that the maintenance of such charges
would not cause them to discontinue
the shipment of peaches; Mr.. Hinck-
ley then told the committee that so
long as the people loaded their fruit in
cars to be shipped over his road so long
would the same charges be made, but
that when the shipments ceased on
account Of freight charges there might
possibly be a reduction.
The policy of charging all that the
traffic will bear has been continued
ever since and that the determination
to SO continue is still alive is evidenc-
ed by the fact that an attorney Of the
company has said, within the last
month, that it is possible that the P.
Wr & B. railroad company may refuse
to handle any Of this class Of freights
if the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion insists upon reduction in
charges. A refusal to carry peaches
and berries would work incalculable
loss to the people of this Peninsula and
that such thing is even mentioned
by certain person illustrates the fact
that the Pennsylvania railroad COM
pany is certain that the company's
grip upon the industries of Delaware
is sufficiently strong to destroy those
industries il such mode Of procedure
should ever become necessary to the
enforcement Of unrighteous demands.
Let this monopoly undertake to re-
fuse to handle such freight and with
in one month their charter would be
thing Of the past and they would be
praying for grant of such powers as
belong to like corporations in more
exacting communities. That any in
justice should be done by the decision
of the Commission is not the desire of
any one, but the people do demand a
just and equitable settlement of this
case and their request should in no
wise be ignored. The policy of the
railroad company has been such that
the wealth Of the Peninsula could not
be developed our people have been
against, they have been
forced to compete with people who
would not, under proper manage
ment of freight charges, be competit-
ors, and the time has come when just |
settlement of these questions should be
had.