New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-28
CHEAP RATES FOR PRODUCE.

nh. Eastern farmer labors under the disad-
vantage of having no sure and convenient mar
Eet for small quantities of diversified produce
,rb. creat farms Of the West offer almost ruin
ous competition in staple articles, sent East by
,h, GARLAND while except in favored localities,
TRANSFORMATION charges and the middiemah
stand i'm the way of successful truck IarihihE'
The man whose few acres yield only small con
sipnments for market has practically no way of
reaching a consumer beyond his own neighbor.
If the natures of husbandmen were not utterly
aversc to cooperation an aggregate OF their
small productions might make a bulk OF trafhc
large enough and regular enough TO command
GOOD TRANSFORMATION service at reasonable rates.
As it is. the buyer who wants food direct from
the farm and the farmer who has a miscclla-
ncous assortment each day to sell are beyond
each others reach.
The English farmer has been for years strug
Cling under the same difficulty, but some OF the
railroads running into London have in the last
two years sought to compensate him FOR the low
rates charged on imported produce taken from
the seaports in large lots by offering specai III
ducoments 70 direct dealing between consumer
and producer. The Great Eastern VIII rake OH
fast passenger trains produce boxes weighing
not more than sixty pounds ana denver 'he'h ~
the bnver's house in London at the rate of eight
cents for twenty pounds AMI TWO cents TOT
every additional five pounds Any kihd oi
produce Is taken. and cOnsignmen's OF aSSor'-
ed lots are allowed. the only condition pelhg
that the goods be properly packed i'll wooden
boxes Of specified shape The company HS"il
sells boxes of various sizes at from three 10
fen cents each. so that the return OF "emp'ies
Is avoided This system does away with the
objection TO small packages. that they are uil
6cult 10 handle and announcement To pack an"
nuts the small farmer on q level with the ship
nor of oreat ouan,ities He can now send goods
for less than half the rate formerly charged IN"
this gets him 96 per cent of the gross retain price
of his goods In the hope N developing 'n'>
feature of its business and OF making II lh'Vihe
Welding the Great Eastern issues a directory
of eight hundred producers desirous OF TOWN. Gus
toners and gives producers such lhlorlha'oi
rs if can about finding buyers The South west
ern and the Great Western have arrangements
of n similar nature. The railroads report gro"
ing traffic but a sad slOwLess on the part OF lle
farmer TO respond 10 their friendly advances
Yet they are satisfied to continue the enterprise
The American railroads. which boast 'Heir
suneriority 10 European lines, should not neg
Iect this field of business 1t is true, the small
package traffic here is largely in the hahds OF
the express companies, but arrangements ihish'
be made between them and the ROADS so 'ha'
people in the cities might obtain produce from
growers within hundred miles AT rates not an
solutely prohibive There would he no prom
n, first hui if IA regular trade were bllit UP me
railroads would reap great benefit \ railroad
company is particularly dependent on me pros
pcri,y of the region il traycrses. II II can mike
communities of w"ll-to-do farmers bringing
goods from the city and sending produce To IT,
il will have profitable mass of business when
can he transacted AT almost no addition To the
expense entailcd by the maintenance of through
traffic. The wise railroad managers have
learned not TO despise local freghis ana pas
sengers. The rich road is the road which, 10y Il
liberal policy builds up rich c"minuh'!
which will pay il tribute.