The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-08-27
HIGHER RATES ON
FRUIT SHIPMENTS
SHIPPERS NOTIFIED OF ADVANCE
VIII TO Into Operation Sept. I3...
Means Raise In Rates for Fruit
Routed Over N. p. from Here.

fruit growing districts In Washing
ton have received word from the
Northern Pacific that higher rates for
shipments will 60 into effect next
month and the announcement has
caused a big stir at fruit shipping
points there. Whether a similar raise
is contemplated ON other railroads in
the northwest is not yet known, but
fruit routed from this section over
the Northern Pacific will undoubtedly
be subjected tG its proportion of the
higher rate. A dispatch from North
Yakima telling of the contemplated
raise In rates is as follows:
Clyde X. Mckee, secretary OF the
Fruit Shippers Association here, has
received letter from Il. P Ober, OF
the Northern Pacific railroad refriger-
ator car service, saying that an ad.
vsnce in fruit rates is to be made and
that it will cost as much to ship from
bere to Minneapolis as to New York.
The rate to Chicago is 90 I-2 cents,
but it will be 81. The rate to Mime
apolls is 10 cents and will be 81. The
rate to Fargo is 60 cents and the new
rate will be rs cents. The rate to
Billings is GO cents and the new rate
will be 20 cents. The rate to Butte Is
GO cents aud the new rate will be 60
cents.
To add to the situation the an
nouncemeut of the new rate, which
Is to 20 into effect September 13, In.
oludes statement that hereafter
when apples are included In mixed
carload lots the load must weigh at
least $4,000 pounds instead of 20, 900
pounds.
The Northwest Fruit Distributors
Association, which has its offices In
Fargo, N. d., has asked the Yakima
growers in a telegram to MIR. Mckee
to send representative to a meeting
of protest to be held In st. Paul Au-
gust 25. Shippers will undoubtedly
protest vigorously against the new
schedule.
Within the last few days criticism
OF the refrigerator car service has
been made and Yakima shippers have
been asking for a iive-day schedule to
st. Paul. Cars used In the valley as
far up as Toppenish and Wapato ale
iced In Pasco and good part of the
ice Is lost. There is now car shortage
at Sunnyside. The news OF the in
crease In rates added to these things
will make the situation strained.
Wenatchee Shippers Aroused.
The first news that the railroads
contemplated raising the freight rate
on fruit reached Wenatchee last Fri
day through letters received from
shippers In the middle west and the
commercial club Immediately called a
which was attended by prom
inent fruitgrowers and business men
in the valley to diouss the matter and
determine II possible what the result
would be. 1t was also ascertained
that the fruitshippers In the middle
west have made arrangements with the
officials to hold meeting In
st. Paul on September Is, when the
matter will be thoroughly discussed
and both sides presented with a view
Of inducing the company to withdraw
their action.
. Ii is understood that other fruit
IN this state and In the west
are taking the matter up through
heir commercial clubs and other Or
CARNATIONS with view to sending a
to the meeting at st.
Paul and 1t was concluded that it
would be to the best interest Of Wen
atchee valley to have representative
1t the meeting also.
1t Is said that the new rate means
IN increase In the freight rate of 25
per cent to all points as far east as
Grand Forks, Is per cent to st. Paul
and 10 per cent to Chicago the rates
10 60 into effect on September /.
these rates will do much to lessen the
Profits of the Wenatchee valley fruit
growers and the commercial club feels
hat 1t is the hundreds of fruitgrow-
srs who have just started orchards In
;he lats two or three years that will
suffer the most, as 1t takes about four
Or five years for orchards to bring In
any reasonable profit.
Yakima Shippers Protest.
At special meeting at the Wash
ngton hotel last Saturday the men,
1ers of the Yakima Valley Fruit Ship
lers' Association decided to make
'igorous protest against the advanced
ates on fruit shipments recently an
lounced by the Northern Pacific rail
oad, to take effect September 13.
The shippers appointed committee
o draw up protest and this will be
yired to the manager Of the North
Western Fruit Distributors at Fargo,
I. D., tomorrow. This protest will
10 presented by the manager at
meeting of fruit shippers August rs
n st. Paul. The Yakima shippers
ound themselves unable to send
ersonai representative to this confer
nee, as all the men familiar with the
ituation are busy.