The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-08-23
FATE OF EGGS IN TRANSIT.
How the Consuming Public Pays TO,
Eggs That Never Come.

Broken eggs are responsible for two
cents of the price on the eggs that are
not broken, and then the consumers have
to pay the extra pennies because the
railroads and express companies break
the eggs and refuse to pay for the dam
age.
Such is the complaint of Alton Z.
Briggs, executive secretary of the Bos-
ton Fruit and Produce Exchange.
Since October last, Mr.. Briggs
says, = the railroads have Disseminated
against eggs as against no other com
modify, for they smash them by the thou
sands of dozens and refuse to pay for
those they break; and today thousands
! of dollars in claims are unsettled be-
cause Of the pernicious attitude of
| the railroads.
! :" 1t should be stated that eggs take
n very high freight rate, being rated
as second class, and this high rate nat
urally exists because of the extra care
the railroads are supposed to use in
handling such a fragile product, and,
further, to furnish funds to the rail.
roads to repay for their breakage when
| same is due to their carelessness. Per-
haps the high rate on eggs can be pre-
scented more clearly by stating that the
freight rate on beef, Chicago to Baston,
is 47c per 100. while on eggs. Chicago
to Boston it is Soc per 100, and the rail
roads recently had the effrontery to ask
for a 10 per cent rise in the rate on
eggs, but asked no rise on beef. The rise
was granted on eggs and this advance
is shown in the figures already given
above.
EnII Obi ont Of
cases of eggs from a point in Indiana
to Boston. Eggs arrive in Boston and
are examined by the receiver, who finds
20 eases more or less smashed and leak
ing. The very fact of this breakage
is evidence that the whole lot has re
ceived rought treatment. but the rail
roads will not permit the remaining st
cases to be examined because they show
no external evidence of damage, and il
order to get the eggs at all, the receive,
must sign them in good order. TIL,
chances are 100 to / that when these 81
cases are taken to the receiver ware
house. large amount of breakage i
found, but the railroads will not recog
nize a claim for such breakage. On tn
twenty cases that showed external dam
age, the railroads will recognize
claim, but only for broken eggs in exccs
of one and one-half dozen. In othe
: words, the railroads can smash ) pc
cent of the eggs in every case and vii
; not pay a cent for the damage.
The shipper of eggs cannot stan
| such losses as follow from this attitud
{ of the railroads; there is no reason VIII
. receivers should pay for eggs they d
not receive; and the railroads say pas
the loss on to the consumer and ther
$ is where it is going.
;, But here is worse and more of it
: for this system of the railroads, operat
ing since October last, is now being pu
in practice by the express companie:
and they are now refusing to pay claim
q for broken eggs, except for the exces
: of broken eggs above one and one-hal
: dozen case; for example, a little shiI
per on Cape Cod sends by express
case of eggs to John Smith in Boston
IS The express system, supposed to b
g rapid and safe may drop this case upo
8 the platform and smash lot of egg
n but the express company will make some
body other than itself pay for one an
one-half dozen of the eggs that the e.
press company broke