Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-02-08

aScertalneQ Inat lncluueS merely
switching, dockage and unloading at
Seattle or Portland, freight and re-
frigeration to and lighterage at New
York and insurance. To this must
be added freight from the fruit dis
trict in question to the Pacific coast
ports, which varies from 4 " cents
per box in the case of Hood River to
as much as 33 " cents from some sec
tions of southern Idaho, making the
total cost run from 371a cents to
66h cents.
"These ocean shipments, of course,
must be made under refrigeration,
passing as they do through the in
tense heat of the torrid zone. On
the other hand, overland shipments,
which are almost uniformly made in
ventilated instead of refrigerated
cars, cost so cents per box from all
northwestern districts to New York.
There are a few weeks during the
Ooiiy pdiI VI IHO ocdSOH WhCu Idll-
road shipments are made under re-
| frigeration, and the expense of send
ing apples overland under those cir
cumstances range from SO cents to
81 cents per box, the cost from most
of the districts being 81 cents. At
that time practically all of the dis
tricts except western Montana and
the most distant points in southern
Idaho could make substantial saw
ings by using the Panama canal.
However, If the steamship COM
panies expect to do any great amount
of business in transporting apples
throughout the shipping season they
will have to put their rates down
lower than they are at the present
time to secure the support of the dis
tricts that cannot now use the water
route to advantage.
"The most important consideration
in this whole question of Panama
canal shipments upon the facilities
which the shipper has for handling
them upon arrival The American
Hawaiian and the Atlantic and Pa
cific lines, which were the first to
carry apples from the northwest and
which the distributors have used, dis
charge their cargoes in Brooklyn at
the Bush and the Atlantic terminals
respectively, while the fruit markets
of New York are centered in Manhat-
tan at the Erie and the New York
Central docks. Hundreds of thou.
sands OF dollars have been lost in
past vain efforts to deflect the trade
away from the Eric dock to some
other place, but dealers have their
stores and warehouses clustered
about it and custom cuts mighty
large figure.
"It would be very easy matter
for transfer and other handling
charges to more than eat up any sav.
ing made by ocean shipments. II
the fruit Is consigned or is placed in
the hands of someone who has nc
direct personal interest in 1t, the item
of handling charges could cover s
multitude of sins of both commits
sion and omission This situation
virtually necessitates a large organ.
ization with salaried representa-
tive in New York to take charge ot
such shipments and dispose of then
at private sale.
The Distributors first shipment
by way of the Panama canal created
quite sensation in New York
Twenty-three carloads of apples ar
rived there on the steamship Ohioar
of the American-Hawaiian 'line las
week. Wilmer Sieg, the Distributors
sales manager in New York, met tn,
boat and Immediately arranged fol
handling the cargo. The chief en-
gineer OF the line has accompanied
1t to watch temperatures and stud!
the needs OF such shipments. Rail
road men in New York were natur
, ally very much interested and triet
to get on the dock, but were not ad
mitted by the steamship company
The run occupied just 26 days ant
, a thorough examination OF the apple
right down to the lower deck shove,
i, them to be in excellent condition
We have estimated the saving ii
; transportation on these 23 cars I,
be approximately $3.50.
This week the Santa Clara OF tn
Atlantic and Pacific line is due I,
arrive in New York with eight NOR,
carloads. and the Montanian of tn
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS line will follow
several days later with 16 carloads
We are also now loading the Santl
Cecilia of the Atlantic and Pacifi
line with seven more carloads. o
course, for the reasons stated. WI