Milford chronicle., 1891-04-17
nae Farmera cam TheIr suIt.

A topic that attracted much attention at
Dover on Tuesday last was the welcome
news brought, that the Delaware State
Grange had carried its case before the Inter
state Commerce Commission, against the
railroads The man who could have given
the fullest information regarding the effect
Of this decision, Representative Higgins,
who is Master Of the State Grange, was not
at Dover, but Representative Eisenbsey, l
Alexander Fulton, Esq and others who were
talked with, united in the opinion that the
decision meant great deal to the fruit aud
truck growers Of this Peninsula. They could
not say that the decision meant that the
transportation rates from Peuinsular points
10 New York, should be put down to the
same rate as from Norfolk; but they felt sat
is6ed that there would be such a reduction
as would encourage the planting ola greater
acreage Of garden truck for the New YORK
market, if not this year at least in the years
to come.
1t may be news to some to learn that the
railroads have been carrying this class f
freight all the way from Norfolk to New
York at considerably lower rates than they
have been charging to truck farmers right
here in central Delaware, IT'S miles nearer
New York; but this has been the chief bone
of contention For example, it is stated
that the rate on a barrel Of potatoes from
Norfolk to New York is 20 cents while for
the much shorter haul from Georgetown to
! New York the rate is 40 cents. The rate on
a barrel Of kaie from Norfolk is given at "
cents; from the lower part Of this peninsula
at 20 cents. With Norfolk freight the rail
roads must make rates to compete with
ocean transportation therein lies the secret
of the discrepancy. Herein Norfolk pos
sesses an Immense natural advantage over
such peninsula stations as haye no ayaila.
bic water route to New York. What the
erangers have been contendiug for is that
the railroads should haul their produce $50
miles for as low a charge as they make tor
400 miles or more, but no Que here
knows whether the decision just rendered
goes to that length. lift does, it will make
quite boom in the Peninsular truck garden
The agitation OF this subjee! dates back tc
the spring Of 1857, when J. Wesley Webb
printed in his paper, the Deiaware Faf"l
and Home bills of freight paid by shippers
at Norfolk as compared with bills paid by
shippers at various points on the Delaware
Peninsula.
Mr.. A. n. Brown, then master OF the stare
Grange, took up the matter and, after con-
sultation with him, Mr.. Webb drew up
circular which was sent to the subordinate
oranges, and afterwards drew up the bill o
complaint to the interstate commerce com
mission. Since then Messrs. Brown, E. II.
Bancroft and Representative Higgins have
been steadily at work in trying to get THU
discrimination remedied. At that time there
was another cause of complaint, unsatis
factory service by which Delaware ship
meuts arrived too late to catch the New
York morning market This was remedie'
/ bv the railroads, after attention had beef
, called to it. The charge for transportation
of peaches was a matter of constant dissen
sion. In 1880 the rate on a carload ofpeache
f from Wyoming to Boston was 500. 1t /
{ now stated that this rate was reduced las
year to S1oo but as there were no peache
last year the growers didn't find it out
7 Sometime last winter the Boston Produc
/, Exchange got a decision from the interstate
commerce commission, the effects of which
! it is understood, will be to still further lowe
this rate by about $50 per car