Evening journal., 1921-04-26
PmATIGAL COMMISSION MERCHANTS ATTACKS ON
FREIGHT RATES.

issue OF The Railway Age. It points cut that The commits
sion merthanss carrying on widespread agitation
among the producers OF fruits and vegetables 10 arouse
sentiment against the existing rates whereas The fact Is
that the advanced the eest OF trans
porting these commodities he distances heY are car
rcd only onefourth to one-afh OF the toll taken by
the commission merchant and the retailer for buying and
selling them.
whether freight rates arr not too high ana
should BE- reduced" says Tho Railway Age 1T Is easy 10
show that Il Is tho exoron prac1iced by commission
and tho retail dealers rather than The present
freight rates which responsible for the fael that Tie
producer OF these commodities Is being paid very low
prices Tor his produces while The In The ohes
Is being forced 10 pay high prices FOR them Recently
much propaganda has been spread among tho producers
OF vegetables Texas Florida and other southern States
and California, regarding the present freight rates
II that cold facts regarding those matters
should De told"
On April i6 the average price paid 70 tho producer for
cabbage in Texas 500 per ton. The cost OF trans
porting It to Chicago s236o per ton This includes
only the freight rate but also the cost Of ielns The
refrigerator and The federal freight charges
The total ha, the producer received for pro
duelns g. and that The railroad received FOR hauling u
about 1870 miles i67 cents pound $3.50 ton
lon the cabbage relsed In Chicago at seven
cents pound $40 ton ao670 per ton more than
the total amount that the producer received FOR producing
IT, and that the arOad received FOR bringing It 10 Chicago
Where did This siO6 20 per ionvhich 5 per cent Of
the total retail proeso to- very large part o. IL went
into the pockets o, the commission who carrying
on the present propaganda. and the rest went into the
pocket O the retailer. The by them four
times much the railroad received for hauling the
osboss- from Texss 70 Cnicso.
On ne date tae producer IN Texas received t2
Ton FOR white onions The cost OF transportation 20
Coaso SSe g. and ne received By the producer
and ne railroad s7i q ton ass cents pound.
AZ the tine white onions sold st retail IN chicago
tor 20 pound 5000 ton. si2s 3e than
ne amount thsi The producer received FOR producing
s and nat ne railroad received for bringing them 10
Chioaso Most o; ihS difference the pockets o.
he commission merchant and the retailer.
On ne date the producer In Texas paid 6 a
ton FOR spinach The cost OF transportation 10 Chicago
was s5oss per making total So os per ton. Al
cents pound that the producer and the railroad together
reserved Al the same tine the reisn price OF spinach in
Chicago IS cents pound 500 per ton s26i G.
Per ton than both the producer and the rail-
road received Who got this s254 per ton which was
almost 20 sent o. the retail prce' Most Of it went
70 the very commission merchants who carrying
propaganda against the present freight rates.
special propaganda being addressed TO the producers
Of oantaoupes and vegetables me Imperial Valley Of
California They being told that big distributors In
r that section worried because the prohbitiv,
"a freight rates 70 The eastern markets and that It is th
e duty OF every receiver Of canaoupes the
= every Arm interested in this industry 70 co
runous freight rates. These distributors" are the yer
% same men who, April ie, getting most OF tha
s25 per Tor spinach the production and iranspor
ton Of which the producers and railroads together
gOt only 1896 The inference might drawn that IN,
oantaoupe crop In the Imperial Valley was ready 10 bt
moved but could be shipped on account OF the high
e freight The fact is cantaoupes grown in
% the Imperial Valley then ready for transportation
e and That they probably viii not until about May IS
10 The crop was reported in good condition and harvest
"a Of 10000 II 900 expected Trac experts stated
that they knew OF reason why the canaoupes would
not freely 70 market present conditions anC
e rates.
n The commission merchants started their propagand;
3 against the present freight the hope no doubt
that they could get them reduced before the shipment
% The canaoupe crop began and thereby pocket par
e OF their profits the revenues which in the absence
ne OF reduction In rates, will go to the railways
IT There recently have been complaints from the sam
N general upon the ground the rates on fruit
~ and vegetables from Florida have been high as 10 in
on erfere with their shipment Chairman Clark OF the Int.
ee state Commerce Commission, investigated the matter an
se asoeraned that from November T. 1919 TO February 2s
1910 the number Of carloads OF fruits and vegetables shin
C. ped from Florida by $50 while from Noyembe
90 1870 to February 2s 1921 under the present reigh
' rates. the number OF carloads shipped 2s2o
n' crease OF 1884 carloads.
1T has ong been known" says the Railway Age "fa
II the commission merchants dealing in fruits and vege
't'' "@'o "oeH anonb INC must Iehofseess piOnieer
in this country. The above facts show that IN addition
as to continuing their efforts to enrich themseve, ly pay
ing producers as little possible FOR them they are nov
e trying to force down freight by campaign OF fas
heaton Congressional investigation OF the "a lroad sil
e uaton is to be held In view OF the that hes
commission people showing such earnest inl,-cst
the subject OF freight rates suggest 10 the C,ngr
sonal Committee the propriety expedency OF ascer
tanning not only the effect OF the present freight rate
upon the movement Of pershabe commodities but ais
the effect upon the welfare OF both the producer and IN
consumer Of the exorblsnt toll taken from them by th
commission merchant and the retail dealer especially tn
IN former"
ed
st It reported that Poland intends to appeal ,he resu