The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1910-08-19

scabs and suckers; therefore on the
low plane that honesty is the best
policy, il it does not see fat to do so
on higher basis, the Democratic
party can we'll afford to create and
nurture the approval of large ma
jority of its members by its record
for service which shall be above
scrutiny in all of its departments.
INCREASED FREIGHT RATES.
No one public question at this time
so nearly touches the whole body
polite as that OF charges made by
common carriers. We can neither
buy nor sell whether it be the
simplest implement for cultivation
Of the soil or box of fruit for city
consumption wi out rewarding
the universal tribute gatherer, the
freight agent. So heavy is this charge
at times that the cost of production
and the profits of the middleman
sink into insigniiicance besideit. For
instance, the freight charge on yellow
pine which is the universal building
lumber of this state from its home
in the Carolinas to Maryland is
almost exactly one third the value
OF the cargo. In other words the
railroad receives about half as much
for carrying the manufactured pro-
duct from the mill to its market as
the owner of the timber and the man
who manufactures it receive for their
property.
And yet this hungry wolf is ever
crying more! more" The Journal
of Commerce gives "A list of a hun
dred and thirty odd railroads and
4l2 other common carriers which
are now knocking at the door of
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion and demanding that they be
granted permission to increase their
freight rates.
Our canning industry which, in its
activity to net the manufacturer n
living profit, seeks market in every
corner of the Union, is critically AZ
iected at this action, since the large
amount of futures" already CON
tracted for have been placed at exist
ing freight rates.
The National Gamers Association
has taken an active hand to prevent
the disturbance of existing conditions
and through its Secretary recently
said to the Commission:
1--WE desire to enter n protest against
the contemplated adva ncement in freight
rates until tn: opening of 1911. An ad.
vance before that time will seriously
affect the canning industry, as contracts
for sales have all been made on the basis
ofpresent freight rates"
I'VE hope that you will record this
letter before the proper branch of your
Commission So that il can he considered
as coming from our organization AMI
voicing the sentiment of all the me nbers
of the same "
1t would he more than unfortun-
ate to disturb the present tendency
of this business to settle down to a
reasonably profitable basis For the
past three years the output has been
so heavy, the consumption so slow
and resulting prices so dull that it
has been n case of survival of the
ilttest where Gamers have been able
to continue in business. Prospects
now are much brighter. The old
stock is better cleaned up than it has
been Tor years and IN some cases
brokers have made five times as
many future sales as had been made
twelve months ago, and this at
fair profit.
Under these circumstances it would
be unfortunate indeed if unrest about
freight rates again disturbs this i'm
portant industry.
The sooner common carriers, ship
pers and consumers recogniz. the
mutually oftheir interests the sooner
populistic legislation against rail.
roads will cease and a balance of
business relations be firmly est ablish-
ed.