Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-07-30
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NEW FR EIG HT RATES,
fatue OF the Interstate Commerce Com
missions Ruling in the Delaware Gran


Value of the Interstate Commerce Com
missions Ruling in the Delaware Gram
gers Case.
Mlddletown Transcript.
The case of the Delaware State
Grange OF the Patrons of Husbandry
against the various railroad companies
doing business on the Peninsula, all of
which are under the control of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, has
been decided by the! Interstate Commerce
Commission and the reductions men
toned in the decision rendered last
spring are continued. The question
was brought to the attention of the com
mission by the grange because the
freight charges on perlshahle fruit and
in fact almost all other kinds of freight,
were unjust and unreasonable.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
has secured monopoly of the carrying
trade from every point on the Peninsula
and has used the advantage to absorb
nearly all the net earnings Of the peo-
pie who have no other means of trans
portation. When the peach was found
to produce good results here a new line
of business sprang up which has added
greatly to the value of land and prom
ised to make this Peninsula profitable
fruit garden had the railroad officials
done the proper thing the revenue to be
derived from Peninsula business
at this time would be greater
by far than it is, but no encouragement
was offered, and as consequence
Peninsula lands are not developed and
now produce only a fraction of what
hat trAttIA &c t,r1,arItr x.t.eirnI %
people being encouraged by reasonable
freight rates. No liberality has ever
been shown in the dealings of the rail-
road officials with the people; on the
other hand, the people, through the
Legislature, have been liberal and have
thereby strengthened n monopoly which
is not only injuring them in business
way, but is making its power felt in the
law-making branch of our State govern
ment. There can be no good reason for
the institution of u schedule in which
the freight on barrel of potatoes is set
down at 40 cents from Milford, Del, and
40 cents from Cape Charles, which place
is more than 100 miles further south.
The freight on barrel Of kale from
Cape Charles to Jersey City is 20 cents,
yet barrel of kale shipped from Mil
ford pays so cents. A hundred pounds
of berries from Milford to Jersey City
pays 65 cents, while the same quantity
shipped from Cape Charles to Jersey
City pays 60 cents. The difference in the
distance is 120 miles and yet the charge
is the same. Water competition causes
low rates from Norfolk, but certainly
the railroad does not carry freight from
that point at a loss; that being the case
why should the freight on barrel of
kale be l5 cents from Norfolk to Jersey
City when barrel of kale shipped from
any point on the Peninsula pays so
cents, more than three times the amount
for about half the distance.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion finds the cost of marketing a
basket of peaches about so cents, in
this estimate including every item of
expense from growing to selling, and
that the profit must be exceedingly
small if the railroad people had
worked for their own and the peoples
interest such would not be the case.
The plea was made by the railroad at
torneys that the branch roads through
Delaware and Maryland were operated
at a loss each year, that the expense of
keeping them in running order was
great and that the whole system was
sometimes operated at loss The com
mission decided that the branch roads
We're necessary and useful, that they
furnish much business for the main line
and were as necessary to it as are fences,
fertilizers and drains to the farm.
The commission decided that reduc-
Of 20 per cent on peaches and berries;
on apples, peas, kale, spinach, radishes,
cabbage and other vegetable, except
potatoes, reduction of 25 per cent. On
potatoes go per cent, ''and the rate not
to be more than 10 per cent higher on
the branches than at the junction points
with the main line" Even with this
reduction the rates are higher than at
Norfolk. When these rates have been
forced upon the railroad company and
when there is bare possibility that
the people of this Peninsula may get
justice, shippers should be careful to
fulfill their part of the contract and es-
pecially so in regard to the overlooking
Of cars and the giving in Of incorrect
number of baskets. The railroad
company are not the only
sinners in the transportation business,
iliNl lpN llNh 81 NtlNhit
has been forced upon them the shippers
should be careful to do unto the rail
road company as they would have the
railroad company do unto them. L. II.
Bancroft, John C. Higgins, Jacob G.
Brown, Thomas i. Dilworth, are
entitled to the thanks of the people of
the Peninsula for the fearless and tire
less method in which they have fought
IL I
they are one and all Changers and bust
ness men, men who are busy every day
in the year, but they have found time
to render an invaluable service to the
people. Through the decision the people
have gained substantial victory, and
should follow it up with some good
work in other directions.
Mary Lewis Declared Insane.
Upon examination of Mary j. Lewis,
colored, by Surgeon Baird and DR.. A. B.