Omaha daily bee., 1907-10-27
COUP BY FRUIT MEN
Ban to Railways and Express Men
Buying and Selling
CHANGE INTERSTATE COMMERCE
Amendment to Law Sought as Result
of Investigation.
JOBBERs APPEAL TO CONGRESS
Chairman Knapp of Commission Will
Have Agent Here,
HEARING SLATED FOR TUESDAY
SLATED FOR TUESDAY
Fruit Men of the West
Making Strenuous Effort
,sN.A , FOrtIfy Their Heavy
" Interests.

the Western Fruit Jobbers association be-
fore a special representative of the Inter
state Commerce commission In Omaha
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next
week. an amendment will probably be
offered in congress this winter to the new
interstate commerce law, which will in
clude express companies in the provision
making it unlawful for railroads to en-
gage in the purchase and sale of COM
modities.
Wholesale fruit dealers and jobbers have
their case ready to present and believe
they will be able to show that great injury
to fruit growers, wholesalers, retailers and
consumers is done by the express com
panies engaging In the sale of fruit, through
their agents in various parts OF the coun-
try.
The hearing opens in the federal build
ing Monday morning, and will be heard
by representative of Chairman Knapp Of
the Interstate Commerce commission
George N. Brown. IL it is impossible for
member Of the commission to reach
Omaha. Following the hearing here, the
fruit dealers will present testimony to
the commission at a hearing in Kansas
City to be held next Thursday, Friday and
Saturday
Express Companies Admit Charges.
According to the fruit dealers the ex-
press companies have admitted that they
sell fruit through their agents, and give
all sorts Of excuses for. engaging in the
business. The common reason given is
that the agents in small towns and cities
do not have enough express business to
keep them employed and the express com
pany usually secures some merchant to
nf an
per cent on all incoming and outgoing
business. The express company then takes
the position that there is no way of the
company debating to such merchants what
they shall do in the matter Of handling
fruit as side line, when such agents are
really not in their employ. In other in
stances the express companies consign fruit
direct to regular agents, and sell the fruit
ON q cormissior which goes TO the ex-
press company, according to the allega-
| tions Of the Western Fruit Jobbers' asso-
citation.
Fifty witnesses will be heard before the
| representative of the commission in Omaha
Among them will be business men from
points in Nebraska and Iowa. as we'll as
fruit jobbers. who will testify to the de-
moralizing effect on the fruit market at
points where the express companies sell
fruit.
business Men ORer Testimony.
AS the case is of the greatest Importance
to fruit dealers and others in all parts
OF the United States, much interest is
being taken by business men in western
cities and the fruit jobbers have had offers
| from business men over the west to anpear
and give testimony which they hope will
influence congress TO place the express
| companies on the same footing as the rail-
roads in the matter OF engaging in the
! sale of commodities.
| The case dates back more than a voar
when the fruit jobbers were forced to take
/ action to protect themselves, after the
interstate commerce law passed and failed
to provide against the fruit selling of ex-
press companies. Ex-Congressman J. L.
Kennedy and Senator Burkett secured the
resolution calling on the Interstate Com
merce commission to investigate the
charge that express companies were selling
commodities. The commission then or.
dered the express companies to make re.
ply within thirty days. The replies were
received about May l, 1907, and these will
be presented at the hearing IN Omaha
''rhe express companies having admitted
that they are selling fruit, and the fruit
jobbers will have 20 show that such trafRc
is Injurious TO the trade and to the con.
sumers as WE'LL said member Saturday
We can do this in three or four different
ways The express companies make nc
hxed price for fruit. They are interested
largely in the transportation charges, anG
II they get that they get about all the,
want One day fruits of certain kinds will
be 81 per box and the next day the expires.
companies will get a shipment which they
must unload and the price tumbles to 8
cents. 1t unsettles the market and ruins
legitimate trade"