The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-22

build and own such cars would take sew
eral thousand dollars, and Swift could
| not we'll spare it from his business,
| which was growing so fast that it kept
him cramped for capital. His associates
| in the packing business told him he
would "go broke If he put any money
| into the Tiffany cars, but he risked fail
IRE and consequent ruin, and plunged in
| having three cars built. The railroads
were to haul these cars, and Swift had
no thought of asking pay for the mileage
/ Travelled by his cars. He was satisfied to
have the advantage over competitors Of
| owning and shipping in refrigerated
cars.
Growth of Private Car Line Evil.
When the trial Of the cars had become
more than an experiment Swift realized
it was q success. and as fast as he could
he had more of them built Morris, too,
and Others at the Chicago yards had re-
frigerator cars constructed for them.
! Dressed beef could be shipped to eastern
points at such a great saving over ship
ping live cattle that there was saving
i to consumers, which stimulated the de-
mand for dressed beef, and big profit
for the packers. The refrigerator cars
1 had come to stay, and Gustavus Swift
managed to maintain the lead he had Sc
cured by his nerve and, faith in the ex-
pertinent.
The various packers during the seven
ties found that success or failure de-
pended on whether they had refriger-
ator cars. They were content to keep
within the legitimate advantages and
profits of the meat trade, but the smaller
/ packers were soon put to death by the
big ones who had the refrigerator lines
to club them with.
The fact that the refrigerator cars
were first used by the Chicago packing
houses is one of the great reasons for the
great growth of the Chicago livestock
and packing business which centralizes
the beef trust of represent at Chicago.
This explains the growth of the re-
frigerator lines until there are in opera
ton 81, 900 cars for which every railroad
pays mileage. and which the Armours-
Swifts-Cudahys own or control, from
which they derive an enormous annual
revenue.
It is the ownership of these refriger-
ator cars which has put the price of
fruits and vegetables for the tables Of
the American people Up Toto 25 per cent.
in cost.
Railroads Held Up.
It is the ownership of the meat bust
ness Of the country which enables the
beef trust, the favored few. to dictate to
the railroads and make them pay for the
use of the cars and act as agents for the
car line owners in holding up the ship
Ders of freight for the mileage Of three
quarters of a cent mile east of Chicago.
except in Canada, where it is one cent,
and one cent a mile west Of Chicago.
The railroads dare not protest, for when
they do the beef trust says IN menaeing
voice that it will give the protesting
railroad no more of its freight. The
tonnage shipped by the beef trust is
enoromus, and no railroad dares con
template getting out of the good graces
OF such shipper. One can easily see
that with $4,000 cars travelling the iron
highways of the. country daily the mile
go 101id DE q great DlS lAED1IlG Ou Lit
investment. The actual figures, as shown
by interstate commerce reports, are tina;
these cars earn at least % per cent.
The Fruit Trust.
It is the ownership OF these refriger.
ator cars which has given the beef trust
} right to tlaim the title Of fruit trust
also; the fruit business is wholly at It's
mercy. Y hen the fruit shipper of Cali
fornia or Tennessee has carload Of or
anges or strawberries to ship, he calls
for car, and by the terms of the beei
: trust the railroad cannot do else thar
send for trust car, which rolls down
from Chicago, earning mileage at every
click Of the wheels. and into this car the
fruit IS loaded. At the destination the
consignee pays the freight and also tbs
bill Of the beef trust for the mileage. and
also another bill for icing the car
When the refrigerator cars were frst
used there was no Icing charge made:
! for instance for the Michigan peaches