Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-09
w. H, White, Jrp Makes Conn.,
parsons Between Proposed
Rates and Illinois Rates

liIAlOO OtllA litIllOIO llCAlSO
w. H. White, Jr., president of the
White Provision company which OPP
crates large packing house in Atlanta,
is vitality concerned in the revision of
Georgia intrastate freight rates pro-
posed by the railroads. This company's
packing house and the Moultrie Pack
ing company's packing house in Moul-
trie, Ga, are the only two in Georgia,
though others will be launched in the
near future unless conditions change
so radically as to discourage them.
Mr.. White declares the new freight
rates proposed by the railroads on fresh
meat packing house products and beef
cattle and hogs will seriously handicap
his business. In fact, he asserts that
| If the rates proposed by the railroads
are allowed to become effective, the flu
ture stock industry of the state will be
threatened.
Discussing the subject yesterday, Mr.
White said:
The White Provision company is
proud to be a pioneer in the packing
house industry in Georgia. 1t went
into the business when there was a
question whether a packing house could
be made to pay, but with the rapid
growth of the beef cattle and hog in
dustry its business has grown faster
than expected.
For ten years the state of Georgia
has been Systematically encouraging
the farmers to raise beef cattle and
hogs. For generations our farmers
raised all cotton and nothing to eat,
with the result that western farmers
reaped the profit of their labor.
PACKING HOUSES NEEDED.
"As the public can readily under
stand, beef cattle and hogs cannot be
raised probably by Georgia farmers un-
less the state has packing houses. II
a Georgia farmer must ship his beef
and cattle and hogs to a distant state
to be prepared for market, he might
as well GO back to raising cotton
Therefore the very existence of the beer
cattle and hog industry in Georgia Is
| Involved in the rates proposed Dy the
railroads on fresh meats, packing house
products and cattle and hogs on the
Ihoof For if the Georgia packing
| houses are to be forced out of business
Inv exorbitant freight rates the Geor-
gia farmer who has invested heavily
for raising live stock will also be fore
ed out of business, as an ineVltaDle
tconseouence. The Georgia cattle ana
hog raiser and the Georgia packing
mouse are absolutely dependent upon
each other. ..,.,uu
"Onlv last week we had striking
! demonstration of the great ana grow
| ing interest in beef cattle, when SHY
head of registered Hereford oulls ana
cows for breeding purposes were SUI
| in Atlanta at an average price or S5oV
nar heads The cattle show at Lake
wood last year was one of the greatest
| ever, held in the south, and another
great show is planned for next faIl'
! Georgia has imported, in the last twelve
months. more thoroughbred beef cattle
for breeding purposes than any otner
southern state except Kentucky.
| "Is it possible that this industry
which is just now beginning to develop
which in future will add untold mil
lions to the wealth of Georgia, is to be
| killed in its infancy by unoearaOle
| freight rates?
RAILROADS EXPERTS.
| 1.-THE railroads have announced that
they have a corps of rate experts quar-
| tered in Atlanta to furnish accurate
| information to shippers regarding lhe
| proposed new rates. In view OF the
repeated announcements and the eXor-
bitant rates proposed, l was astonished
| to find an apparent indifference on the
part of the men in charge of the rail-
| roads bureau A week ago applied Tor
| certain information, was told II would
| take a week to furnish it to me, and L
haven't got the information yet.
| Recently on a business trip to Chi
caro- I gave some friends of mine, who
are traffic officials of big Chicago trunk
lines, a few samples of the new rates
| proposed in Georgia on packing house
products fresh meat and cattle and hogs
| on the hoof They were dumtounded.
1t was beyond their comprehension that
the railroads of Georgia should propose
| to throttle a great industry in Its In
fancy. On their own initiative they fur
nished me with the Illinois scale of rates
on these commodities. L have compared
the Illinois scale with the present Geor-
gia scale and the proposed Georgia
scale. l WANT the farmers of Georgia
who are interested in live stock to care
| fully note a few comparisons.
| The comparisons cited by Mr.. White
were as follows:
THE ILLINOIS RATES.
The average Illinois rate on fresh
meat, per carload of 20, 200 pounds, taxi
| ing eighteen shipping points ranging
from "a to 290 miles from Chicago, and
averaging distance of 159 miles, Is 1872
cents per 100 pounds.
! The present average Georgia rate, per
carload of 10000 pounds, taking the
same average distance, is 26 cents per
| 100 pounds, or II per cent higher than
| the Illinois rate.
| The proposed average Georgia rate,
per carload of 10000 pounds, taking
the same average distance, is 81 cents
per 100 pounds, or 143 per cent higher
than the Illinois rare.
| The average Illinois rate on packing