The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-07-24
SOAKING THE
FLORIDA SHIPPERS

pers:
Chicago, June 12.-The cat is out
OF the bag. Here is the actual cost
record:
Icing charges OF Armour Car lines
(Fruit Growers Express) on lettuce
per car, Lakeland, Fla, TO Chicago,
I$72.
Actual icing charge expense on one
F.G.E. car of lettuce, iced by the
shipper, Lakeland to Chicago $27.
Surplus collected by the Armour
Car lines, per car, per trip, $40.
Intrinsic value Of some of the re-
| frigerator cars offered Florida ship
pers as standard equipment" to car
ry perishables safely under ice, $3.50.
At S72 per trip the shipper pays
value of the car in three trips.
Florida shippers of fruits and veg
etables have now actual evidence TO
sustain their claims that they have
been presistentIy robbed in the way
of excessive icing charges to Chica-
go and other markets. 1t is bill of
the actual cost of initial icing car
of lettuce at Lakeland, Fla, by Ed
ward G. Davies, of Chicago, and the
subsequent icing charges to Chicago
carriers to "reice when necessary
as provided for by the rules of the
interstate commerce commission.
The News was the only paper to
tell on May 9 the story of the latest
coup by Davies, the Chicago granger
| car man, who has made many inef-
fectual efforts in Michigan and other
states to get control of a dry re-
| frigerator car to secure positive evil
| dence as to the actual cost of the
service. The private car line own
ers have all the time claimed that
they only get the actual cost of the
ice with a reasonable rental for the
special service rendered by the car.
Hitherto they have had an ironclad
defense since none outside of the
charmed circle had access to the rec
ords.
Mr.. Davies returned Monday from
Florida where he had been several
weeks to look over the fruit and
truck situation with a view of ex-
tending his system of shippers pick
up cars to the Eastern markets. He
says he feels we'll repaid for the ex-
pense of the trip in being the first
one to secure absolute proof as to the
actual cost of icing car from South
Florida to Chicago. He is now equip
before the Commission or anywhere
else with the cold figures as against
their so called records made up by
their expert accountants who figure
in enormous overhead expenses in
determining what shall be the
charges between any two given
points.
At Wauchula, Fla, Mr.. Davies
made a vigorous talk before a meet
ing of growers. He used, by his own
admission, pretty radical language
backed up by some figures which
show that the policy of making the
traffic stand all 1T will bear is still
the rule among Southern railroads.
He says the Florida shipper may not
have the carpetbagger to contend
with to-day but he has something
| far worse. He advised his hearers
! that If they wanted square deal
they should ask for FLORIDA to be
annexed to the United States or else
they should claim the Cuban flag as
| Cuba has a lower rate to Chicago and
points in the Central West than any
Florida point.
They have been robbed so long
and so artistically in Florida that it
/ seems they like it," said Mr.. Davies.
1.-THE railroads have put up a poor
mouth so constantly that the aver
age Florida shipper has been willing
to go on year after year giving away
his labor, time and money in keep
ing UP this game. It's the old, old
story without any trimmings.
'fHow did it happen? Well,
caught two dry +. G.. E. cars at Lake
land and the Seaboard agent had the
nerve to buck the Armour orders tc
local ice plants not to ice any f. G
E. cars and handed the cars over tc
me at Plant City where l initially
iced the cars at my own expense pay
ing the local plant s4 per ton fol
ice where Armour pays only $3.50
, per ton. After that j stood on M
rights and gave instructions to the
carriers to reice when necessary Il
get the cars safely to Chicago. The
, heaviest car came through on al
expense bill which totalled less thar
:. S27. The other car handled by lin.
which fights for the Armour charge
so far have not made me a bill O