New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-20
MILK PRODUCERS COMPLAIN
THE NLEHEp DISCRIMINATION IN
FREIGHT RATES.

ERElGHI NAL "
FURTHER TESTIMONY BEFORE THE i"iN'''
COMMERCE. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IN
THE VALUE OF FARMS.
rso bearing before the Interstate Commerce COM
,,,ss,o, q, the charges of discrimination on tue
mart OF certain railroad companies III ''e -
rates on milk. made by the MIX rrouuoe'' ,So
CATION was resumed yesterday mo'",ne ~ -
Federal Building before Commissioners W'"ari ~
Norr,sop Of Illinois chairman: Martin A. Knapp
ot New-York; Judsol c. Clements OF Georgia. a''0
James ID. Yeomans. OF iowa
EXAMINATION OF RAILROAD MEN
NJ c. Staples the general agent Tor TINS "a"
the Erie Railway Company was nrs' eai'eu a."
testified that so far as he knew. increases anu "
creases in tariffs or milk were maui w.
ont consultation or agreement with other oo"
NAMES Mr. Staples furnished statistics OF IN.
milk trafic and earnings Of the ERIE ioi e" ,
month Of the last three years ~ nilk c"i 49,.
on an average S47 6s per trip. incluu''Is ~, a.
OF the empty cans The Erie milk trafiic ma" ue
creased Mr. Staples SAID. despite the ope''"e -
nav branch lines tapping milk districts anu
creameries lie said he was not aware una ~
milk traffic Of the Delaware, LacAa"a""" 49,
Western had increased ,,"0 per cent o"i'"e INV
last three years. -, =,
H. b. Chamberlain the genera! freight ase", u
the Erie line was recalled for further EXAMINE"
ton and replying to Mr.. Jennings couhse' ~.
the Erie said it fact thai o'he'
freight were carried the Erie ana o'"'' w
roads at a uniform rate irrespective OF distance
bat when asked by Mr. Choate 10 name ,,
specific product carried, the "i'neSs "' S
10 confess that he could not. go ,
rs there now any article other than milk ana
cream which. to your knowledge, Is carrieu az VIZ,
same rate over various distances MI N"
then .,ked the witness. who promptly a"s"eie'
that so far as he knew. there was nov.
John T Batey on behalf of the Lehigh ana huu
son road asked whether peaches were not CARRIE
at a uniform rate over all distances out 'Ne W.
ness was unable to inform the O'mi"i'''V0''
whether such the fact
The next witness was GibeTr carpenter
director of the Monroe Dairy Association. In MS
preliminary examination by Mr. Rowe ne saio tha'
the association annually sent over the Erie ROAD 10
New-York a. 1872 forty-gallor cans or mix anu Oh
cans Of cream The gross receipts for these quaht-
tics were $50 7Oi out Of which sas2s was paiu 10 the
Erie Company for freightage. The ASSOCIATION was
organized in 1880 and was situated distance 1I
sorty.nine miles from NewYork being the centre M,
OF one of the districts affected by the UNIFORM rae
Nr Carpenter said he farm-owner
pEN,rs IN ORANGE COUNTY DISCUSSED
re- Mr. Rowe-Now, is 1t not fact that during
the last ten years rents have decreased In orange
county? A-Decidedly so. In the case OF my own
farm NAV say that In 1892 received Tor my farm
scoo annual rent in 1894 got $3.50. and this year !
on, only getting 500 Usually. our farms are rented
by January i. but this year did not let my iarfn
until March.
o-After paying your taxes and Insurance and
other necessary payments. how much do you have
left OF your rent at the end Of the year? Amy
$40 90.
o-Has the assessment on your farm been re-
ou,ad7 AYes in the last few years from 5000 to
sefoo There has been a general reduction In the
assessment OF all farms around Monroe .,u T.,
,oxr mejsbborhood? A.-Deplorable Some years
ago before We had to com dS con % and We're
eagerly rented and bought in orange county , out
now one-thrd OF the farmers al least nave aoaI-
doned the milk business because IL mas peco'ne u''-
profitable
THE UNIFORM FREIGHT CHARGE.
In the course of further testimony the witness at
tributed these depreciatcry influences to the acton
which he asserted the railroad companies mad tax n
in carving the milk OF farmers -vD or 3Vo miles
away at the same price that the nearby producers
were Obliged to pay John 7 Batey, counse! for
the Iehigh and Hudson road cross-exammec the
witness and endeavored TO obtain admissions from
lin showing that the reductions when haa taken
ulace in the last ten years in the rates had been
source NJ benefit to the nearby producers; but the
witness persisted in maintaining that the companies
contributed by reason q Their UNIFORM rate TO the
present bad condition of the farmers IN the neieh
horbooa of the terminals true, he said. that
the increase of population in Jersey City' brookFh
and New-York might warrant an increase o. the
nroducing territory but if the dealers could get
their milk cheaper from the outlying farmers they
naturally went 10 the cheapest market: Inc cross
examination was continued. as follows.
QNow want TO ask you "netheT III ,h oStsc pro- o.
preventing the competition OF the distant FARMERS
Gut i, Is with the object of increasing your
prohts? Ayes sir. -,. =, -. J.,
increased upon whom is that increase TO fall-upon
the consumer? A.-NO. the price OF mix Is not 70
be raised. We desire that The money paid to the the
railroad companies should find its way INTO the
Now please answer me thsdo the producers
dealers to whom The milk Is conS b P ba
10 come out Of the farmers pockets
At this point a was taken. after when
Mr. Jennings continued his cross examination and
rage necessary because OF the perishab.e ma
ture Of milk and the necessity OF ahording H. there,
get from the witness statement to the enect
that increased use OF CONDENSED mix IN tne
milk but tho witness declared that he wthou;
knowledge the matter.
STATEMENTS OF PRESIDENT BULL.
Charles r. Bull. the president OF the Mix Pro-
tucers Association the petitioning body, was next
called in. and replying 10 Mr.. Rove said that ali
the members OF the association were mNk-produc-
ing farmers He then proceeded to point out that.
through the uniform adopted by the railroads.
which brought the Western producers into compet'-
ton with the farmers only few miles from the
city his income from the three farms which ne
what it had been ten years ago He corroborsted
,he testimony that all the farms in Orange COUNT
been glutted with milk from the West; the nearby
producers were unable TO dispose OF their proauce
al profit. He added that milk retailers or New
York. who previously bought all their supplies from
the neighborlng counties. now dealt to great ex-
tent with the distant producers because they could
buy from them on cheaper terms Since the rail-
NAYS had adopted the uniform price for carriage,
the Protective Association had dwinded down to
The Court then adjourned until 10 o'clock this
morning
THE COURTS.