Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-04-16

i lplh W new 10TH Is ~ CeIlts, White lOI
| the much shorter haul from Georgetown
to New York the rate is 40 cents. The rate
on barrel of kale from Norfolk isl given
| at II cents; from the lower part of this
peninsula at so cents. With Norfolk freight
| the railroads must make rates TO compete
with ocean transportation; therein lies the
secret of the discrepancy. Herein Norfolk
i posses an immense natural advantage over
| such peninsular stations as have no avail
able water route to New York. What the
| grangers have been contending for is that
the railroads should haul their produce $50
miles for as low a charge as they make for
| 800 miles or more, but no one here to-
\ night knows whether the decision Just
| rendered goes to that length. II il does 1t
will make quite boom in the peninsular
| truck garden.
The agitation of this subject dates back
to the spring of 1887, when j. Wesley Webb
printed in his paper, the Deldmdre Farm,
and Home, bills of freight paid by shippers
at Norfolk as compared with bill paid by
| shippers at various points on the Delaware
peninsula. Mr., A. N. Brown, then master
of the State Grange, took up the matter
| and, after consultation with him, Mr..
Webb drew up circular which was sent
to the subordinate oranges, and afterwards
drew up the bill of complaint TO the inter.
| state commerce commission. Since then
Messrs. Brown, f. H. Bancroft and Repre-
sentative Higgins have been steadily at
work in trying to get this discrimination
remedied At that time there was another
| cause OF complaint, unsatisfactory service
| by which Delaware shipments arrived too
late to catch the New York morning
! market. This was remedied by the rail-
| roads, after attention had been called to it.
| The charge for transportation of peaches
was matter of constant dissension, In
| 1883 the rate on carload Of peaches from
| Wyoming to Boston was S220. 1t is now
| stated that this rate was reduced last year
| to $3.50, but as there were no peaches last
| year the growers didn't find it out Some
time last winter the Boston Produce Ex-
| change got a decision from the interstate
| commerce commission, the effect of which,
| it is understood, will be to still further
lower this rate by about $50 per carl
The Farmers Alliance of Kent county,
held ~ first regular meeting on Saturday,
at Harrington. From 80 to 40 persons were
present. The meeting adopted the follow
! ing:
Rsssln'd, That we, representing the farmers
and laborlng class of this county, believe that
the bill now pending at Dover In relation 10 the
pensiontng Of the judges is unjust and I'M
called for Therefore, be IL resolved that we
sincerely protest against the passage Of said
bill.
Governor Reynolds has received and to-
day deposited in the Farmers Bank, the
United States treasury check fol, Della
wares quota of the Direct Tax refund
$50, 722.62 G. H. b. Day, ESQ.,, is prepar-
ing bill to regulate the adjudication of
claims under the funds and to provide for
their payment.
DOVER, April Ia 1T is now the pur-
pose of the Delaware State Grange to ask
the Legislature for railroad commission,
whose object shall be to bring the railroads
and the people into better relations with
So says Master Granger Higgins, and he
ought to know, There is d hint in the
language which goes far towards explain
ing Mr.. Higgins change of base in the
speech he made on the Junction and
Breakwater Mortgage Transfer bill this
morning.
The discussion of this bill was unex-
pectedly brief and was one.sided The bill
had come up as the special order of the
hour. Mr.. Chapman opened the discussion,
but instead Of reiterating his urgent plea,
OF last Friday, for immediate action, he
merely said this was very important
measure, involving S600,006 of public
money, and ought to receive careful con-
slderation. Then he sat down.
Mr.: Higgins spoke next. He said that if
the bill had come to a vote last week he
should have voted for it. But he had been
doing some thinking since, The State is
the MORTGAGE. II has been informed that
the mortgagor is ready to pay off this
mortgage. He thought the other day that
il would be unbusinesS-like to refuse this
offer, inasmuch as he then believed the
r, w. d Is. endorsement would make the
bonds very desirable investment that
would sell at par But. when he came to
reflect on the sutficiency Of this guaranty,
he was forced to ask himself; What do |
know about it What do know about
the previous engagements of this railroad
company? II may be so covered tlp that
its endorsement would not be worth a $40
bill, We are entitled to know about this.
We have mortgage now that we know is
good we should certainly keep that until
we know that the bonds We are offered for
1t will sell at par"
The speech was rather surprise to
those who had been chasing Mr.. Higgins
among the friends of the bill
we want to know said Mr.. T.. j,
Morris, IF the railroad company will
make better terms with the farmers. am
not prepared to vote on the bill and |
move to postpone it to this day week"
Which was at once done, without any
more palayer. During the afternoon the
bill was called up again and referred back
to the committee for urtherconsideration
Among the motives for delay the follow
ing seem to figure:
A desire To withhold action until IL is
aware Terminal railroad bill.
An uncertainty as to whether the inter
state commerce committees reduction Of
freight rates applies to the junction 4
Break water system EVERY EyEHING's
Washington special, the only available
source Of information implies that the re-
dueed rates apply only to'the main line
and not TO the branches; although said
branches are also interstate roads
An. intimaton from the Georgetown
board Of trade that that body will formu-
late remonstrance against the bill at its
next meeting.
The consideration that the proposed
deal would shut out for 10 years, ali hope
1 of a competing line.
The fact. that several lawyers of ac-
/ knowledgcd ability have privately ex-
pressed doubts Of the legal sufticiency If
the preferred guaranty. unless concurrent
4 Legislation is had by the three states II
1 which the z, " 4 .. railroad is char.
tered.
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