The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-08-11
new RA|!|T'l|ESNOT
EFFECT H. C.L.
Wholesale Merchants and Traf-
i fic Experts Optimistic
PRICE OF GROCERIES
NOT AFFECTED
Increase on Cotton Freights
Has Not Been Determined
By Commission !,

mbta, August 6-That the in
creased freight rates will not mater
tally affect the III. G. Ia and that it will
not place any noticeable burden on
the ultimate consumer Is the opinion
of wholesale merchants. traffic ex-
perts and railroad officials In ColuYn-
and Throughout the state. The in
crease wiihnot prove a burden to the
retail buyer. with exception of a few
commodities. The necessities of life
will increase In cost by only an unno-
ticeable fraction. except In the case OF
coal. Other heavy. bulk commodities
will feel the increase more than will
bread and meat and clothes.
The president OF a large wholesale
grocery concern stated today that the
increase In his line would be felt to
an extent on those commodities that
me buys In. bulk, but that on small
articles and drugs sold in small guam
titles the increase. would be hardly no.
ticeable.
The traffic officer of large machin-
cry and automobile concern, selling
all over the state. stated that i'm their
iine the increase would hardly be ex-
pected to AFFECT business. There will
be "a burden only as the freight is pro-
portionate to the cost OF an article.
The purchaser of an automobile will
have to pay more freight on the car
he buys. say $25 to the car. The in
crease will certainly not be any large
percentage OF cost of the goods. The
opinion held by some that the cost of
living will be Increased twenty five
per cent Is absurd. he said.
A fuel dealer and contractor, whL
Is building roads for the state higa-
way commission. stated that his line
OF business would feel the increase
more than would many others The
Increase Will effect the price OF coal
ms teraiiy. The freight on ton Of
coal now being about SO OIL, $3.50 will
be increased ON the. bill paid by the
|homenakerS e3, ~
The freight increase will not af-
feet the price of groceries, stated a
large Wholesale grocer. Where the
freight ~ paid on large shipments. the
Increase on each can of meat, on each
head Of cabbage or ON each bunch of
bananas VII be so slight as not to be
noticeable to the ultimate consumer.
II would say the increase will have
practically no effect on the cost of
goods In our line he said.
A prominent clothier Of this city, in
speaking Hof the situation explained
that the freight Increase on clothing
Viii have very small effect on the price
OF clothes The Increase for example.
he said. of forty cents In the freight
on one hundred pounds OF straw hats
Will. when distributed among the hats
tnat make up that shipment, fan very
lightly on one straw hat,
Traffic experts stated today that
they are yet In dark as to what form
the increase will take. what articles
will bear the full twenty-five per cent
increase authorized for the Southern
section and what commodities will
not
1t is not known yet what increase
will be placed ona freight on cotton.
When tho twenty-five per cent freight
increase of 1913 was ordered, the in
crease on cotton was only Is cents
per hundred pounds. 1t Is not believed
by traffic experts In Columbia that the
increase on cotton will be twenty FIVE
per cent OF the present tariff.
The new freight rates are effective
August, 26th. Neither the railroad
commission or traffic men connected
With the railroads or commercial or
ganizations OF the state have as yet
received any definite reformation as to
the new tariffs This Is expected within
few days The RAILROAD commission
has not as yet received the petition of
the carriers FOR the new rates to be
effective In South Carolina. This pe-
tition will have to be passed upon be-
tofe the Icy rates are allowed.