The news & observer., 1905-08-08
THE THREAT OF THE TRANSPOR-
TATION TRUST.

THE injury of one is the concern
of ALL
The truckers of Eastern North Caro-
lima and the furniture manufacturers
of High Point have a common inter-
est. Early in the spring, when the
Strawberries were ready for market
the growers could get no cars, ana
instead of going to Northern marketS
hundreds of thousands of dollars OF
strawberries were dumped in the
creeks and rivers by the railw"-- COM
panies. Fortunately the North Caro-
lima Legislature had given remedy
to the growers of strawberries ana
the railroads were compelled TO re-
ceive and ship the strawberries ana
forward them under severe penaltleS.
The refrigerator car trust failed to
furnish cars, but the railroads had
to receive the berries and pay the
growers for them, and look to the re-
frigerator car trust to be reimbursed.
But for that law. Nle berry growers
of Eastern North Carolina would nave
lost from three to four hundred thou
thin would have been thrown into
bankruptcy. The refrigerator car
trust, mad because they had to pay
the loss on strawberries instead or
making the farmers lose their crop,
are getting ready to recoup by increas-
ing the cost of carrying next year
Mr.. Thomas J. Pence, the Washington
correspondent, who enjoys exceptional
opportunities to learn what is in the
mind of the transportation trust, thus
writes to his paper:
There is reason to believe that the
private car lines, which handle practi-
cally .all the fruit and berry ship
ments in this country, will endeaVor 10
increase their schedule of rates in
the South next year.
The largest one of these car lines
operating in North Carolina and other
Southern States claims that 1T had suS-
tanned heavy losses in handling South
ern fruit and berries during this year,
and threatens to abandon the terri
tory where the losses occurred. 10
use the language of representative
of the company, renewals OF contracts
with Southern roads may not be sought
next year. While it is probably true
in the South have been hit hard this
season. it is doubted whether this
threat to quit the Southern field VIII
be attempted. Rather is the opinion
entertained that the refrigerating lines
will attempt to increase their scale or
rates, assuming the position that they
have been operating without proht
At anV rate expression IS freely given
to this opinion.
Representatives of the private car
lines declare that the entire Southern
season has been the worst in all thelr
history. and that the story of their
operations is one of continuous losses
Things began to break badly with the
shipment of Florida lettuce. The crop
was cut short by a sudden freeze
There was a car famine during the
strawberry crop. in North Carolina,
which cost the Armour line alone
100000, in ordeE to settle up CLAIMS.
1t is claimed also athat much money
was lost in handling the canteloupe
crop because of the inability to get
sufficient supply of ice. The statement
is made that ice had to be shipped
by special trains from Philadelphia
and Washington to Columbia, Hamlet
and Rocky Mount in order to ace
uuately ice fruit trains from the
South.
'"The representatives of the private
car lines declare that they had hoped
to recoup their losses to a consider
able extent on the Georgia peach
crop. but information received by
them this week is that their hopes
will not be realized. 1t is claimed
that provision was made for handing
over 5000 cars of peaches and that
the crop amounts to an actual snip
ment of only $500 car loads. Ihe
refrigerator car companies contend
not confined merely to the difference
between the anticipated revenue from
an expected shipment, but is Increased
bv the loss of mileage on thousands
of cars and on the ice that is intended
for refrigeration. The contracts with
all railroads provide that the private
car lines are responsible for the ship
ment of fruit, and that in order to
estimate properly the probable size Of
crOps, the company has to maintain
force of agents the year round Tor
this purpose.
This statement of the position of
the private car lines with reference TO
Southern business is interesting, to
saw the least, and future developments
will be watched with interest 1t Is
probable within the range of accuracy
to declare that the berry growers OF
North Carolina not to mention many
of the truckers, are absolutely depend
ent upon the private car lines for the
delivery of their products to the mar
kets of the North"
This information shows the neces-
sity of giving the Interstate Com
merce Commission power over all
TRANSFORMATION, including these retrlg-
orator car trusts. If they lost money
this year, they made piles of money
in every previous year and they should
not be permitted to make the truck
ers pa the lost by increasing the rates
of transportation on their next years
crop
Furniture does not perish like
Strawberries, but the furniture manu-
facturers lose business and money if
they cannot get the right sort of cars
promptly. They applied in vain to
the Southern Railway. If they get any
relief it will be due to the Corpora
| ton Commission.
The strawbrry growers, the furni-
| Co. md a n no