The sun., 1909-05-23

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fixed by the processes OF supply and de-
mand, which the amount OF the freight
rate does not influence materially. Upon
this point special inquiry was instituted
by our author in the spring Of 1907 among
the produce dealers Of New York.
1t appears that the price dozen
paid by the housekeeper for eggs during
the season OF shipment seldom exceeds
by more than Ave cents the price rece(ved
by the Western farmer who takes them
to the country store. That is to cay, the
railroads bring eggs thousand miles to
New York for cent and a half a dozen
and 1000 miles or 30 for about two cents
and a half = dozen, the dealers taking
the remainder OF the five cents as payment
for handling. The net difference between
the price paid a pound for butter In
Mississippi Valley creamery and that
paid by the New York retail dealer
averages about one and one-haf cents
for commission and one cent for freight.
To take another instance, we observe
that in December, January and February
turkeys are taken from the Texas ranches
to marketing centres. transportation
charge on ten birds. W, ig collectively
100 pounds, being abou cents. After
these ten birds have been dressed and
packed they weigh about one hundred
and two pounds and the freight rate
from Texas to New York ia Sl.5o for 100
pounds. That is to say, Texas turkey
which retails in the New York marke
for 20 cents a pound will have paid one
and three-fourth cents a pound TO the
railroads that took II from the ranch to
the concentration point and thence to
the market. The farmer in Texas received
about nine cents pound leaving a
trifle over nine cents to be divided between
the packing house, the produce mer-
chant and the retail dealer.
The rail rate from Chicago to New York
on grain and grain products for domee-
tic consumption has been about l7>s cents
a hundred pounds; that is, a bushel
OF oats or corn or wheat that may bring
in New York anywhere from 40 cents to
81 has been brought from the Western
farm for from to IS cents. On potatoes
the freight rate a barrel containing
about two and half bushels is $l.OS
from Florida, e5 cents from South Caro-
lima, IS cents from North Carolina and
80 cents from Virginia; from this point
the rate scales down to s or cents a
bushel from regions near the market.
The freight rate on tomatoes from Florida
is rs cents package OF six baskets;
from Texas it il Is cents for twelve quarts;
from Mississippi it is "a cents hundred
pounds and from nearby farms cents
a bushel Of twenty y-eight quarts. The
freight rate on cantaloupes TO New York
ranges from less than a cent for a melon
from the Carolinas to about ~ cents for
a melon from California. Oranges from
Florida to New York pay the railroads
for transportation from to cents a
dozen and those from California TO IL
cents, according to size.
As New York may be considered repre-
sentative of the places to which edible
products Of the West and South are con-
signed, so on the other hand may st.
Louis be accounted a typical centre OF
reception Of the manufactured products
Of the East. Detailed information on
the latter subject was procured by our
author directly from the merchants and
manufacturers Of that city. We learn.
for example. that the transportation
charge on the material entering into a
pair OF shoes made in st. Louis fac
tory averages ~ cents. The transpor-
tation charge required TO place that pair
of shoes in the hands Of a consumer In
any part Of the United States averages
between 2 and cents. We note next
that the material entering into an ordi-
nary bedstead such as retails in st. Louis
at 81 will pay the railroad about 40 cents.
From ten pounds Of nails made in Pitts
burg and retailed in st. Louis the railroad
will have obtained triHe over 2 cents
and from ten pounds Of wire ~ cents.
An axe made in the Pittsburg district
that retails in St. Louis for 81 will have
paid the railroads ~ cents.
In reply to inquiries which our author
made concerning certain staple articles
Of daily and gene raj use in various of the
smaller cities and towns extending from
Massachusetts TO Georgia and Illinois
and from Michigan to Mississippi he was
informed that throughout this region the
freight rate on such articles ranges as
follows On a mans suit Of clothes 1t ia
from two to eight cents; on calicoes and
ginehams it is from one-fftieth Of a
cent to one-fifth Of a cent yard; the
transportation charged on the entire
apparel OF fully dressed man or woman
in the region named would range perhaps
from six or seven to sixteen or eighteen
cents. The rate on an ordinary dining
room suite consisting Of table. sideboard,
six chairs and a china closet would aver
age from rs cents to IS; on a bedstead and
its equipment from rs cents to $3.50.
In view OF these data IL is not surprising
that from the time when railroads were
established in competition with canals
down to the civil war every American
community strongly desired railroad
communication. Its citizens both in
their private and in their public capacity
were willing to make concessions often
amounting to sacrifices in order to secure
such communication. The completion
of a railroad was always an occasion Of
public rejoicing. During this period
there seems to have been no complaint
against the transportation charge. The
era of the turnpike wagon and OF the slow
going canal boat was too fresh in remem-
brance for any one to think Of finding
fault with the lower charge made by the
railroads for the quicker movement Of
, freight. II there were rebates and other
personal determinations they were neg.
jiojble both in number and in importance