Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1921-06-07
N | | | | D \ 5
ARE SAVED
To MELON
GROWERS
Transcontinental Railroads
Make Sharp Reduction in
Freight Rates to Eastern
Markets From Imperial
Valley Points.

Advices received late yesterday aft
ernoon by C. w. Runge, district freight
and passenger agent Of the Southern
Pacific railroad from G. w. Luce,
freight traffic manager of the road
who is in Chicago, announced re-
ducton in freight rates Of from 8 cents
to 33 1-2 cents per 100 pounds on fresh
and green vegetables, including water
melons and cantaloupes, on transcon-
tinental and eastern trunk lines from
California to the eastern markets.
These reductions will be put into
effect as soon as possible, but the rate
on apples of $3.50 per hundred weight
will go into effect September /.
The following rates from California
and Arizona points on vegetables, mel
ons and cantaloupes have been an
nounced
Group "A", including New York.
Boston, Philadelphia and southeast,
from $2.08 1-2 to $1.75, a saving Of
% l-2 cents.
Group "B", including Cleveland.
Pittsburgh and southeast, from $1.92
to $1.75, a saving of II cents.
Group "C", including Detroit and
Cleveland, from $1.83 1-2 to $1.75,
saving of 8 1-2 cents.
Approximately 1880 carloads Of
cantaloupes will be shipped from the
Imperial Valley this season to the
East, and these reductions will net the
shippers saving conservatively esti
mated at several millions of dollars.
Many thousand carloads of water
melons will be shipped this season and
the reductions allowed will mean a
saving to the growers of several hun
dred thousand dollars more.
According to the American Fruit
Growers association there is now NOV
ing out of the valley more than IT'S
carloads of cantaloupes each day and
as soon as the peak of the shipping
season is reached they will be moving
at the rate of $50 to 400 cars per day.
California shippers, however, have
been partly disappointed in that no
changes were made by the transcontin-
entail lines on rates to points west OF
/ Chicago, such as st. Louis, Omaha,
Denver and other points, as great
bulk of fresh vegetables, cantaloupes
and watermelons are destined to Chi
cago and those points every year.
One hundred and ninety cars Of I'M
perial Valley cantaloupes started on
their way east Yesterday. Total ship
ments including yesterdays, for the
season, are 1923 cars. This is less by
800 cars compared with this time last
year. The reason given is cool nights
that hindered development of melons.
This time next week, it is expected,
shipments will run $50 cars daily.
Melons are of fine flavor and are in
creasing in size, it is stated.
= The cantaloupe market weakened
) under heavier supplies, prices averag-
ing about Csc lower than Saturday.
Settlement of strike which began
5 Sunday morning at the ice plant Of the
: Imperial Ice & Development company
at Brawley, was predicted over the
) telephone from the offices of the Pa
: cific Fruit Express company this aft
, ernoon. When asked for statement
, the reply was that statement would
be given in couple Of days"
The strike started over working con-
ditions of men employed in icing the
5 men were paid SO cents an hour for ~
for overtime. This year this had been
i, followed until Saturday. Il becams
evident that the shipments would not
:. hold up to last year, and that instead
f of icing up TO this time $50 cars o,
more, the number 10 around t30. Then
n the company began paying the mer
y for actual icing time, and laying theu
;. off when not working. This brought
y immediate objection from the men.
: walkout followed. II is reported tina
e men from Yuma will be brought In u
Fill the places Of the strikers.