The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-03-22
RAILROAD AND STEAMSHIP
RATES AND CHARGES

'rhe cost of transportation is so large
proportion of the delivered value of
our product that it is of the utmost
Importance that the rates to all points
are equitable and consistent with the
service rendered. In order that the
growers interests in these matters
may be fully protected, complete file
of tariffs is kept in this office, and one
man in the TRANSPORTATION DE-
PARTMENT does little else.but read
these tariffs and analyze them. They
are constantly being. amended, so this
work of reading and analysis is contin-
uous. Here are some of the practical
results which stand to the credit of
this EXCHANGE:
/. Reduction of rate on apples from
Wenatchee Valley points to San Fran
cisco from 45c per cwt. to 43c per cwt
2. Reduction of rate on apples,
Yakima Valley points to San Francis
co, from 45c to 43c per cwt.
8. Secured amendment of diversion
clause in transcontinental tariff where
by the $500 charge for each diversion
is discontinued where change of rout-
ing or change of consignee ONLY is
l iIldut. TOIIuCIlI CNC1 GblCbC CtldiiRCb
carried the $2.0 90 charge.
A. The EXCHANGE worked very
hard and was largely instrumental in
getting the railroads to install tte
present system of "average weights"
instead of the former system of esti-
mated weights, which necessitated
weighing a certain number of boxes of
each variety loaded. This change has
proven very convenient and economical
to growers and shipping associations.
5. By hard, personal work with Off
cials of the Pacific Coast S, S. Co.,
Mr.. Robinson convinced them that the
contemplated advance in freight rates
between Seattle and San Francisco,
San Pedro Clos Angeles) and San DIE
go would be inconsistent and inadvis-
able, and actually averted this threat
ened increase which would have
worked very great, if not an abso-
lutely disastrous hardship on Washing
ton fruit growers and would probably
result in the destruction of the Cali
fornia market, by throwing the busi-
ness to Utah Idaho and other sections
enjoying a favorable rail rate. The
tremendous Importance of this one
accomplishment to Washington fruit
growers may be appreciated when it is
understood that LOS ANGELES alone
consumes about 500 cars of Northwest
ern, Utah and Colorado apples (exclus-
i've of CALIFORNIA apples) and consti-
tues the greatest market in the world
(per capital for JONATHAN AP-
PIES. Sales in this territory also
mean comparatively quick returns, and
altogether this nearby territory con-
stitutes one of the most valuable mar
kets in the world for Northwestern ap-
pie growers.
6. Prevailed on the Great Northern
Ry. to re-ice all cars of soft fruits just
pior to leaving Wenatchee, thereby
saving very important sums to both
growers and railway companies in loss
and damage claims.
Z. For nearly THREE YEARS Mr..
Robinson worked doggedly and persist
emily, to break down the rate barrier
which, more than anything else, pre-
vented the successful development of a
big consuming territory, viz: the
South Atlantic States-all of that ter
ritory Tor nearly all of it, lying east
OF tne MISSISSIPPI anu 5outn Oh the
Ohio. For the most part, this terri
tory is consumer and not producer
of apples, but it has been almost i'm
possible to sell our fruit in there, as
the ventilated rates on apples from the
Northwest have been prohibitively
high-up to sl.41 per hundred. His
effort was finally rewarded by the pub
lication, effective Dec. 80, 1916, of
rates into that territory mot only on
apples, but on other fresh fruits as
welD which now makes it possible for
US to enter that territory on rates ap-
proximately 15c per hundred lower on
apples, and all the way from 1Sc to 33c
lower on soft fruits. Now that these
rates are installed, this whole territory
will, for the first time be available for
active market exploitation. What this
means to Northwestern fruit growers
can be appreciated when tell you that
although the EXCHANGE has sales
agents in all tR important towns
throughout this whole territory, it has
not been able to sell single car of
| E~.,.4 Nz~tI =.