The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-02-03
HIGH FREIGHT
KILLS INDUSTRY
BUT RAILWAY LINES ARE HELPLESS
McCullagh Back From Chicago Cites Con.
ditiOnS Reports Brighter
Apple Market

The problem of freight rates held
the center of the stage at the annual
convention of the American Fruit and
! Vegetable Shippers Association. ac-
cording to C. w. McCullagh, who re-
turned last week from Chicago where
the sessions were held.
From every part of the country, "
says Mr.. McCullagh, was heard the
cry that freight rates must be reduced
or the industries will perish. Paul
Findlay, marketing expert of the Cal
ifornia Fruitgrowers' Exchange. de-
clared that so per cent of the Califor-
MIA lemon crop will rot unshipped un-
less an emergency freight rate is
applied by the railways. 1t was told
at the convention that so per cent Of
the celery and lettuce crops of Florida
are being plowed under because of ex-
orbitant freight rates to principal mar
kets. In many intances the freight
charges reach four times The original
value of the product. Florida oranges
on the principal markets are not bring
ing the cost of picking, packing and
freight charges, exclusive of cost of
production. Potatoes have become a
natural drug on the market"
Mr.. McCullagh. however, cites that
railways are unable, because of re-
strictions, to grant relief. lie cited
conference between the presidents of
Class A railway companies and com
mission of Californians, appointed by
the. governor of the state. The com
mission appealed for an emergency
freight rate to save the states indus
tries. The railway chiefs pointed out
b..l IN hof
were unable to reduce wages of their
men. The board of directors of the
association adopted a resolution urging
that railways of the country be per
mitted to control their relations with
labor.
Mr.. McCullagh was reelected one of
the five Pacific Coast directors of the
Fruit and Vegetable Shippers Associ-
alton, which the past year handled
tonnage of 500. 900 cars of produce, a
half of all produce grown in America.
The other Pacific Coast directors are
Thomas O'Neill, of Los Angeles; j. l..
Nagle and Chas. r. Verdun, of Sacra-
mento and Conrad Rose, of Wenat-
chez. Mr.. McCullagh states that the
convention had the largest attendance
in its history.
Mr.. McCullagh attended cOnven
tion of the National League of Com
mission merchants which met at st.
Louis the week before the Chicago
convention. He declares that apple
marketing conditions were decidedly
depressing when the st. Louis conven-
tion convened. Before the Chicago
convention had closed the outlook be-
gan to brighten because of reports that
came in telling of the poor quality of
barrel apples remaining in storage.
The outlook, he says. has been grow
ing brighter each day, and now the
market for long keeping varieties of
western boxed apples is brighter than
it has been for 60 days.
Mr.. McCullagh says the rise in Brit
is h exchange is an aid to western mar
keters. The high quality of the box
fruit, too, he says, causes it to make a
better showing abroad than the
barrel product.
Mr.. McCullagh declares that the
margin between the wholesale price of
apples and the price asked of the trav
cling public on dining cars for baked
apple is astounding. Mr.. McCullagh
says the diners charge 35 cents each
for baked apples. The price of baked
potatoes, he says. is equally a, sensa
tional when espied by grower of
tubers. The dining car charge for a
baked potato, Mr.. McCulIagh says, is
25 cents