The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-15
TO PREPAY THE RATES.
WHAT THE NELON-oRoWRRs' AS
ISOLATION WANTS.

A Matter OF Much Iaterest to Growers
and the Railroad Men just Now.
Why the Association Wants the Rail-
roads to Demand Prepayment and
Why Some of the Railroads Don't
Want to.
The question of prepayment Of freight
rates on melons during the coming season Is
proving an interesting subject to the melon
growers and ths railroad men.
At the meeting Of the Melon Growers As
ISOLATION at Macon in December a resolu-
ton was passed requesting the railroads to
demand prepayment of freight on all mel
ons shipped.
The reason Of this unusual request by the
melon growers was that during the last sea-
son such quantities Of melons were shipped
that the markets were glutted, and
and In many instances the growers
not only received no return for their ship
ments, but the melons did not pay the
freight.
THE MELON GROWERS IDEAS.
The idea of the members of the Melon
Growers Association was that il the grow
ers were required to prepay the freight they
would only ship their finest melons so as
TO be sure they would return the amount of
the freight if not a profit, whereas during
the previous season large quantities Of In
ferior melons were shipped, causing a glut
In the markets and reducing the prices Of
the really fine melons.
The railroads interested look at the mat
ter from different staudpoints The north
era lines connecting with the Atlantic
Coast Line look upon the proposition TO
prepay freights with much favor In facts
they have urged the very thing themselves
in past seasons They object very seriously
to taking freight and riskine the chances of
the market for payment.
A DIFFERENT VIEW.
Traffic Manager c. d. Owens of the Plant
system, who is probably better acquainted
with the conditions of the melon and truck
growing business in Georgia and Florida
than any other railroad man In the country,
prepayment of freight on melons
with great disfavor. He argues that
the prepayment Of freight
Is required there will be heavy reduction
In the amount of the melon shipments aud
II the growers are required to prepay their
freight they are certain to make it the
basis OF a request for a reduction in rates.
in both OF which instances the rail-
roads would be the losers. The railroad
commission. he says, has already fixed the
rates upon melons so low that they are
carried as cheaply as sand or brick, and
there will be nothing in it for the railroads
II there Is any further reduction.
THE RAILROADS MAY LOSE.
If in addition to'thls there is a falling of
in the traffic the railroads will certainly
lose by the change.
1.-THE whole truck and melon growing
business In this section" said Col. Ow ems.
was built up by the railroads by this very
system Of allowing the growers to ship
their freight with the privilege of paying
at the other end. If 1t had not
been for this concession on the
part of the railroads the
business would never have reached its
present proportions. The grower puts his
profit against the freight Of the railroads,
and the risk is borne by both"
Mr.. Owens thinks the small melon has a
mission as we'll as the large one, and that
there Is room for both.