The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-10-14
STARTLING EVIDENCE is
BROUGHT OUT
Before Interstate Com
merce Commission
SHIPPERS COMPELLED
To Pay Tribute or Be Forced Out Of
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Compel
Growers 20 Allow Fruit to Rot on
the Ground and Consumers to Pay
Exorbltant Prices.

Exorbitant Prices.
Chicago, Oct. 1.-THE evidence Civ.
en- before the Interstate Commerce
Commission today showing conclusive
in addition to that given Monday and
Tuesday that Armour & Co. have q
practical monopoly on the handling Of
fruit and other products that require
the use of refrigerator cars, Because
of the alleged eXtortionate demands
Of this concern and the cooperation
of the railroads 1t would compel COM
mission merchants, fruit growers and
all others engaged in the industry to
pay a tribute Of $25 TO $40 car for
the privilege Of shipping fruit and
vegetables to markets. The penalty
Of refusal to comply with their alleged
demands Is an embargo on all ship
ments and enforced retirement from
business. Testimony of a startling
character was given by members OF
firms against whom the destructive
forces of the so-called refrigerator car
trust operated by the packers was
said to be aimed. Edward Davies.
Chicago consignee for the Yosemite
Valley Fruit company made state
ments to the commissioners alleging
determinations against sections of the
fruit growing country and against IN
dividuals that made clear the condi-
tions which compel fruit growers in
large districts to let their fruit rot on
the ground while eXorbitant prices
are charged for the same fruit in
near by cities.
The testimony tended to show that
the Armour company hauls cars from
Kansas City for % cents per mile, SO
for icing and 43 cents a hundred for
freight with icing charges of s45 car
from Tennessee and Illinois. All Of
Tenncssee's products are barred from
Chicago markets by an alleged pro-
hibltive icing charge of $40 a car while
Georgia points ship twice as much
freight in car with but one half the
tariff rate and 25 per cent less in icing
charges.
Witnesses testified that but for the
prohibitive charges by Armour all
southern fruits and vegetables could
be sold 10 northern markets; that
prices of fruits and similar products
would be reduced so per cent in cities
and thousands of carloads Of fruit that
are now permitted to rot on the ground
In the country might be shipped to
the cities and sold to consumers for
I'D af hn
ers are forced to charge.
At the conclusion of the session to-
day Commissioner Judson c. Clements
was asked what the commission would
do in the tece of such evidence. He
replied:
That would be unfair for me to
say-in fact impossible to tell-until
the commissioners have conferred on
the matter. The testimony given
by these commission merchants has
been surprising not to say startling
but it cannot be passed upon until the
members of the commission have re-
ceived stenographic copies Of the pro-
ceedings at the several sessions and
also the affidavits to be filed by Ar.
mour's attorney presenting the other
side of the case"
What we particularly ask for" said
J. C. Scales, the chairman of the re-
frigerating car lines committee Of the
National League Of Commission mer-
chants, lis that the old system OF IN
cluding tho icing charges and the
freight charges in one item be re-
stored In other words, we want the
freight rate to cover all expenses.
Then II the railroad company over
charges the commission can punish