Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-02-18
COMPLAINT or FARMERS,
Investigation of the Alleged Discriinina.
tion In Freight Rates.
Stan Correspondence o. Gazette and LonrnaI.

STAFF Correspondence o. Gazette and journal.
Dover, Feb. 1.-THE House com
mittee 10 investigate alleged discrimi-
nation in freight rates and the Con-
stitutional Convention committee on
agriculture hsld joint public meeting
in Representative Hall, yesteday after
noon, with Chairman Horsey Of the
convention committee in the chair.
Chairman Donaldson OF the House
committee stated tho object of the
conference. after which A. N. Brown
OF Wyoming made few remarks.
Mr.. Brown was followed By Philip
i. Cannon Of Bridgeville, who after
making general complaint, submitted
the following fgures Berries Hre
shipped from -Bridgeville to Boston
at the rate Of sl.20 per 100 pounds,
while the rate from Baltimore to
Boston, about 10 miles less, is about
so cents per 100 pounds. The charge
from Bridgeville to Boston. with re-
frigerator car service is, be said. about
70 per cent in excess of the rate for a
better service from Baltimore. The
cars leaving Bridgeyille for Eastern
markets must be ready between IL and
O'Clock, noon, while in Baltimore the
cars need not be ready until G p. m.
Referring TO peaches. Mr.. Cannon
stated that the cost OF shipping car
load from Bridgeyille to Boston is
about $3.50, that charge being at the
rate OF $4,000 pounds to the car load.
which cannot be loaded on a car unless
the peaches are dumped out of the
baskets. The rate from Bridgeville to
Hartford. he said, is the same as to
Boston. From Ann Arbor, Mich, to
Hartford, distance OF 750 miles, the
New York, New Haven e. Hartford
railroad charges Sl29. 4S. He further
alleged that while cars leave Bridge
willie about noon, cars which leave
Baltimore at 6 p. m. frequently arrive
at Boston ahead of the Bridgeyilie
cars. The Eastern markets have been
the most desirable for Peninsula
growers, but the freight rates make IL
impossible for them to compete. He
claimed that farmers in hia vicinity
pay double the rate paid by Baltimore
shippers to Jersey City. The time has
come, he said, for the Legislature to
bring about enactmenfs to protect the
citizens OF the State. We pay taxes for
protection and / claim that it is the
duty of the Legislature TO exercise
supervision over the interest and well
fare OF the citizens Of the State HIS the
times demand. We ask that tho Penn
sylvania railroad he NOT allowed to dis
criminate between the citizens Of Mary
land and Delaware.
ii. W. Viven OF Bridgevile told
something about hia experiences, He
stated that berries are shipped from
Baltimore to Hartford at the rate of
sSl. 30 per carload, with refrigerator car
service, while for ordinary service
Bsidgeyile people pay $3.50. 45, and
with refrigerator car service they must
pay $3.50. As. lie stated further that
the rates on peaches from Georgia,
New Jersey and other points are only
about half what they are from Delaware
points. James L. Shallcross of Middle
town also alleged that the Pennsylvania
Railroad CO. was discriminating against
Delaw8reans, aud as a result of that
discrimination he held a petition ask
ing the Legislature TO pass general
road bill giving the right to any CAPT
talists to build ROAD 40 CONF
peting line with the Delaware railroad.
The petition was signed by d. W.
Corbit, John G. Higgins, j. N. Van
degrift. Columbus Watkins. q. A.
Pool, G. w. Naudain, W. P. Biggs,
Richard Clayton. A. S. Eliason, ). +.
Riggs, John p. Cochran. r. W. Coch-
ran, Joseph Biggs, r. Il, Cochran, W.
A.. Cochran, i5eric +. Shallcross.
George L. Townsend, 4. b. Watkins,
Daniel NJ. Cochran, George II. Brady.
Stephen Boyer, Charles Dsrickson and
other citizens of New Castle county,
all OF whom supported the measure be-
cause of tho excessive rate of freight.
Mr.. Shallaross stated that there was
time when person cruld have shipped
down the State small carload of coal,
but now il person wants a carload he
must order an is or 22-ton carload,
which, he believed, was brought about
by trusts and monopolies. He referred
to transaction 10 which he alleged
that he was unfairly dealt with. lie
stated that he shipped five calves to
Philadelphia from Middletown. and
that the railroad company charged
him freight on 1880 pounds, while
tho actual weight OF the animals was
. 1850 pounds. and that delay in
handling them caused him 10 lose
cent pound on the SALE In freight
he paid 50. IS.
Samuel II. Derby Of Woodside re-
ferred to shipments made to point
1858 miles north Of New York City over
the Pennsylvania railroad and the Nav
York Central road. lis said that two
thirds Of the freight charges were paid
for the shorter distance between Della
ware and Now York. and nne hird for
the 1853 miles over the New York Cen.
trail railroad. Ho urged tho Legislature
to give relief.
e. Fl. Bancroft of Wyoming said
merchandise can be shipped TO
Wyoming cheaper than from Wyoming.
He urged the Legislature to pass such
restrictive legislation as the case dc.
mands. and thought that the funda.
mental law OF the land should be so
changed that the Legislature would
have control over freight charges He
thought also that railroads should be
prohibited from issuing passes, except
to their employees.
j. }. Ross Of Milford stated that his
farm of l25 acres had paid in round
numbers about 50. 600 in freight during
tho summer, which had really con-
sumed all OF the profits. and held that
had the freights been lower he would
have had some revenue. He sub
staptiated the remarks of several who
had spoken before him. He said that
on one occasion he purchased carload
of seed potatoes from Accomac county,
Va, and paid freight rate OF 80
cents per barrel, while the same shipper
could send the same potatoes to New
York for 30 cents per barrel. He be-
lieyed that nine-tenths OF the farmers
nj tha Stnfa are in favnr nf "A dennrni