The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-06-03
Most Jobbers Look Upon Pres
ent Freight Rates Being
High Enough.
MINIMUM CARLOAD WEIGHT
Any Increase in Freight Rates WilI
Be Added by Retailer to Cost Of
His Goods.-The People
Foot the Bill

Atlantic City, n, J., June 3.-De-
termined opposition to any advance
in the tariff of freight rates on food
commodities, as proposed by the rail-
roads, will be made by the National
Wholesale Grocers' Association,
which convened in annual session at
the ELECTROMAGNETIC today
Most of the jobbers look upon the
present freight rates as quite high
enough, and declare that aroused
public opinion will prevent the roads
from making amy increase.
Today's meeting is beyond doubt
the greatest gathering of food pur-
veyors ever held in this country. All
parts of the country, from Maine to
California, are represented, and
there are delegates in attendance
from nearly forty states The asso-
citation represents 80 per cent of the
distribution of food products by
wholesalers in the United States.
The initial session was called to
order this morning, with President
William Judson, of Grand Rapids.
Mich, in the chair Mayor F. P Stoy
delivered an address of welcome Re-
ports from the various officers were
presented this afternoon, and the
committee reports will be considered
tomorrow.
Tomorrow afternoon there will be
session for addresses by manufac-
turers who recognize the johbers as
the logical distribution medium be-
tween themselves and the retailers
at which the whole subject of the re-
| lation of the three factors of the
trade to one another will be discuss
ed In the evening there will be 6
big banquet in the Marlborough
Blenheim, when speakers of nationa
reputation will address the conven
ton. Fred w. Drake, of Easton, Pa.
will be toastmaster and among tn.
speakers will be United States Treas
urer Charles H. Treat, DR.. Wiley anC
others of like prominence.
/ The sessions of Friday will be de-
voted to miscellaneous business, the
election of officers and selection of
the place for the next regular ses-
sion.
In regard to the proposed increase
In freight rates, the traffic manager
of one of the largest New York
wholesale grocers said
The jobbing grocer, when an ad-
vance in freight rates is made. fig
ures up the extra cost to him of do
ing the business and he adds it to
the price for which he sells the
goods to the retailer. The latter pay
ing more%for the goods is compelled
to charge more The increase in the
| minimum weight per car load on
| food commodities we opposed before
| it was made effective by the rail-
| roads. This increase does not affect
us in the least. We buy hundreds of
car loads of goods every year and it
makes no difference whether the
minimum weight is 5000 pounds a
car, greater or less, our large pur-
chases enable us to get the carload
freight rate. This increase in the
minimum weight does affect the
small buyer. For instance, If a small
buyer can handle, say a carload of
canned salmon in a season when the
minimum is SO, 600 pounds a car, he
| will be compelled to increase the
purchase by 1000 pounds now when
the minimum weight from the coast
Is 10000 pounds car.
| I'VE have no serious complaints
from our customers except on the in
! creased minimum. If the railroads
put into effect the proposed increase
1t is safe to say that public opinion
will be aroused to such a pitch that
there will be readjustment OF
rates al along the line. 1t is general
| ly conceded that public opinion Is
about the only thing the railroads
! fooro