The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-07-29
PUBLIC BUY|DIRT
WHEN They PAY
FOR POTATOES
Confined from Page 0ne).

Island commission man. was re-
ceived over the Rock Island lines.
Mr.. Stsck found the sacks heauly
loaded With dirt and refused to &C
cept the shipment. He called Mf.
Eihl, who, with Mayor Schriver.
put the Indian" sign on the car
q Tar a. its being unloaded IN
Rock island il concerned. The car
was not fully investigated until
Wednesday, and city oAcials say
that each sack contained from III
to 40 pounds Of dirt. The potatoes
were loaded at DeSoto, Kan, ana
were billed out by the Swanson
Brady Produce company OF kansas
City, No., according to the files IN
the ONCE Of the Twentieth street
Rock Island freight house.
On account Of the car being turn
ed down here the company sent q
telegram to the railroad freight Of
hcials to send It ON to Chicago, ana
1t started out last night.
How Dirt Charge is Made.
With that car out Of the way the
dirt proposition can not be forgot
ten, for Rock Island commission
men say they have been register
ing kick after kick on having to
buy dirt.
Several pounds Of dirt are IN
every sack, but not nearly so bad
as In the car that was condemned
by city ofllcials. On top OF this the
commission men must allow the
jobbers S per cent above the weight
of the shipment as received as
shrinkage from the time the spuds.
were shipped. The commission
men say this is accepted by them
as potatoes will shrink consider
ably. However, some say that they
have found the weight as high as 3
per cent less that that billed to
them, and in addition an apprecia-
BILE amount Of the weight received
made up Of dirt. Notwithstanding
this. they pay pound for pound &C
cording to the shipment as billed.
Then Sell by Sack.
As the sacks won't weigh out
per sack by several pounds, the
commission men dare not sell them
60 peddlers or grocers per the
number of pounds that were paid
for, but sell the potatoes by the
sack. The cost for so many pounds
is figured up plus the commission
mans profit and the sack goes out.
BY the time the potatoes get to the
consumer there is no dirt, but cost
has been added on to pay for it, as
it has been paid for by the handlers
all along the line.
Opinions locally vary as to how
the dirt gets into the sacks. Some
believed that the farmers shovel it
in while others say that in numer-
Gus instances the spuds are pur-
chased from the farmer either in
the ground or in piles on the field
and that workers for these pur-
chasers load q lot of dirt in the
sacks along with the spuds.
Jobber Writes Goldman.
Recently B. Goldman, commits
sion man at 1909 Second avenue
wrote to the c. C. Clemens Pro
duce company of Kansas. City, Mo.
in complaint Of dirt received with
potatoes and saying that he did moi
want to buy a farm In answer
this letter was received, which has
been handed to Mayor Schriver:
Blames Farmer.
I've have your letter of recent
date relative to an allowance fol
dirt in car UP 46417. Beg to ad
wise that we got no allowance fol
dirt in this car. and we were there
fore not in a position to make you
one.
I'VE feel with you that we should
not buy farms, but as long as the
government will allow the farmer
to load the way they have been VIZ
presume that we will have to TAX,
dirt For the farmers will tell vol
that If you don't buy it the othel
fellow will.
Short 1000 Pounds.
I'VE have taken the matter O
an allowance up with the shipper
and are trying to get you 100,
pounds off. We have not been abb,
to get anything out of him yet
however, but will let you hear from
us again. Yours very truly,
! &C. c. Clemens Produce Co.
Per E. Mason, v. P.-Mgr.
Water Melons Rotten.
| Not only was a carload Of pota
toes turned down here, but in add
ton two carloads Of water melon
were held up by the city officials
These melons were shipped from
the state Of Georgia. They ais,
were consigned to Mr.. Steck. Tn
5obber listed as billing out the car
is B. D. Anguish & Co., 1872 Norti
Clark street Chicapo