The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-11

GROWERS TO MEET AT MACON.
Committee VIII Discuss Transporta-
ton Rates on Fruits.


The JOINT committee on transportation
of fruits and vegeta bies of the Georgia
State Horticultural Society, the Georgia
state Agricultural Society and the Geor-
gia Fruit Growers Association has been
called TO meet in Macon at II O'Clock, on
the morning of March 49,
A't the last meeting of the committees
from the three orga nizations organized
into a joint committee, with sohn NJ
Stulbbs of Dublin, as chairman, and Dud-
ley NJ. Hughes of DanviRe as secretary
and treasurer. Like the meeting that is to
be held on next Friday, this former meet
ing was held in Macon and was attended
by a large majority of the members of
the committee. At that meeting the
committee did little more than effect an
organization, though the evils of which
lis membership and the membership of
the associations the committee represents
complain were discussed at full length
However, no decisive acton was taken.
The committees contention is that the
rates charged by the transportation lines
entering this state for the transportation
and refrigeration of fruits and vegetables
intended for Northern and Western mar
kets are entirely TOO high, and that they
operate to place the growers of this sec
ton of the country a a strong disadvan-
tage, as compared with the growers of
other sections. The members of the COM
mittee have declared with great force
and plainness that the future of the fruit
and vegetable industry of the state is
largely dependent upon this question of
cheaper transportation and refrigeration
and that the continuance of the present
scale Of rates is a menace that quite over
shadows any Well-founded hope of future
growth
1t was the original intention of the COM
mittee to undertake a trip to WASHINGTON
in the interest of the movement that il
has fostered. 1t is claimed by the rep
resentatives of the initial lines over which
fruits and vegetables are shipped from
this state 10 che North and West. that
the high rates charged are not their fault.
bAt The fault of their more distant con-
nectlons that have their own reasons for
discouraging any 900 strong competition
with points in which they have a closer
interest and where fruits and vegetables
are largely grown
The committee intended TO Law its grie,,-
ances directly before the officers of these
lines and plead is case to these gentle
men. The members of the committee
hoped that in this manner they would be
able to obtain Tedress and that Georgia s
fruits should not in the future start on
tlitii way " uldlhSlt handicapped a
freight rate greater than that charged the
growers of other sections
railing concession of this character. IA
had been thought that an appeal might
with propriety be made to the Interstate
Commerce Commission. The committee
men are very earnestly and sincerely con.
WINGED thai through the fault of some OF
the lines Georgia is not being justly deal,
with in this matter and they have Thought
it possible that they might so convince the
| commission OF the Justice and truth OF
| their contentious that a more endurab BILE
state of affairs might be brought about.
| The trip TO Washington was postponed
until the committee was qualified K
| speak autEoritatively as to the rate dis
elimination and to this end Mr.. Frank w
Hazlehurst Of Macon has been made rae
! clerk of the committee and has been en-.
gagged in collecting statistics on this sub
! ject- Al the meeting on Friday thes,
statistics wlli be laid before it and tn,
committee will then be in a position Il
take intelligent action.
Maj. G. NJ. Ryals of Savannah is on
OF the members of the committee, repre-
senting both the Agricultural and Horti
| cultural Societies, and viii attend tn
meeting that has been called by Chair
man Stubbs Maj. Ryals has a larg
personal interest in the results that in.
committee will be able 10 accomplish an,
is very DESTROYS that some action. look
ing to the betterment of existing condi
lions, should be taken.
i 1t is probable that the first thing don,
will be to address a memorial 10 tn
initial lines, and lay the question. witt
the Information that has been gathered
before the officers of these roads. l
they reply that they can do nothing an.
lay the blame for high rates on tn
Northern roads then the memorial an,
the Information win be carried before tn
officers of these latter. Only in the las
resort is it probable than an appeal I,
the Interstate Commerce Commission viii
be made.