Smyrna times., 1908-07-08
SHELVING OF PEACH
CARS DISCONTINUED
PENNSYLVANIA R. R. co.
DEFINES IT'S POSITION.
Imposed a Heavy Burden Upon the
Railroad and Caused a Shortage
Of Cars for Other Freights.

Railroad and Caused a Shortage
of Cars for Other Freights.
In view of the fact that the peach
harvesting season is near at hand,
and that the Pennsylvania Railroad
has sent out notices to the effect
that it would be compelled to discon-
tinue the shelving of cars, the Com
pany desires it's decision to be
thoroughly understood by both the
growers and the shippers. The
reasons for the action taken are as
follows I. Owing to the expense
and burden involved, it would be
impossible to supply cars thus
equipped to the entire territory
reached by this Company's lines of
road. Likewise, even if it were
practical to shelve cars for peach
shipments throughout the country.
it would not be fair toward other
classes of shippers to withdraw from
service for this exclusive use, very
large number of cars at the very
time when they are most needed by
shippers in general. Thus, to
continue the shelving of cars for the
peach business on the Delaware &
Maryland Peninsula, would constitute
a discrimination prohibited by exist
ing law.
2. Independently of this legal
consideration, which is obviously
controlling, the former practice of
shelving cars was Objectionable, for
the following reasons:
A. 1t was an inordinate burden
upon the railroad. To handle the
peach crop of the Delaware PENN
sula alone it was necessary to shelve
from LOCO to 1,5OO cars. Arrange
ments to install the shelves had to be
made about June 9th, if all the
cars were to be ready by August
18th, when the heavy shipping period
began. Last year a large number
of cars stood idle from twenty to
twenty-five days waiting for ship
ments of peaches to commence,
while, at he same time, there were
orders for cars for grain, canned
goods and other commodities, which
could not be filled, because so many
cars were tied up it he peach trade,
and could not be used for other
purposes. This period of sewerage
resulted in a complete loss to the
railroad.
The burden upon the railroad was
made all the greater by the uncer-
tainty of the peach crop. Two years
ago a large number of cars were
fitted with shelves upon the expecta-
tion of a good season. When almost
ripe the trees, the entire crop was
ruined by rainy weather. The cars,
which had been stored for about
thirty days, were returned to the
shops to be dismantled without hav-
ing been used.
Shelved cars must be returned
empty from the markets to the peach
district. This haul was source of
exceptional loss by reason of the fact
that had it not been for the shelving
in the cars, they could have been
used for the miscellaneous freight,
destined in the same direction, but
held up by shortage of cars.
B. Shippers themselves were
often necessarily incOnvenienced by
reason of the impossibility of supply
ing sufficient shelved cars to handle a
very large crop. 1t required from
three to six days for car to be
returned afer it had been shipped
with a load of peaches. Thus with
1900 cars available, and shipments
being made at the rate of 400 cars q
day, three days would exhaust the
entire supply. In number of cases,
the records show that cars that haC
been standing idle for twenty-five
days before being loaded to distant
points, were not returned to the
peach district until the season was
over. The practice of shipping II
baskets which could only be for.
warded in shelved cars made it i'm
possible for growers, at the height o.
a crowded season to avail themselves
of such unshelved cars as might b'
at hand.
When the Company found tina
it would be compelled to alter it
method of transportation, it adjusted
the rates from the Peninsula to accorc
Herewith. In addition, wherea
formerly it was necessary to loa'
1000 pounds of peaches in car t.
secure the car load rate, now tn
Delaware shippers get the benefit o
the rate by loading only 800
pounds. These rates and the reduc
tion in the minimum car load weigh
.-... ....A 80 oGont Last season MhlI