Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-12-23
CRUCESF ARNERS
WILLF|GHT FOR
CANTALQUPE RATE.
Hearing Before |. C. c. Set
for January 9; Freight
and Icing Charges Cause
of Losses to Many.

(By The Associated fressJ
Las Cruces n. M, Dec. 22.--
When the members OF the Inter-
state Commerce commission meet
at Washington, d. c., January
8, the matter OF freight charges on
cantaloupes from Las Cruces ana
other shipping stations in the Me-
silla valley to Kansas City. Chiea-
go, Pittsburgh, New York and Bos-
ton and New England points will
receive full consideration.
C. NJ. McChord, chairman of the
commission, says in a letter to
United States Senator II. O, Bur
sum of New Mexico, received in
Las Cruces this morning:
II have your letter of December
5 enclosing a telegram from II. H.
Brook, president of the Elephant
Butte irrigation district, Las Cru
cos, and others, with respect to
freight rates on cantaloupes from
that point and vicinity.
an connection with the matter
am enclosing for your informa.
ton a copy or an order issued No
vember 90, 1921, No. 1928, in the
matter of rates, fares and charges
of carriers by railroad subject to
the interstate commerce act insti-
tuting an investigation to deter
mine whether or to what extent
further general reductions can
lawfully be required by orders Of
the commissions
"The proceeding is assigned for
hearing beginning December IA,
1921, (the new date is January 9,
1929, at 10 o'clock a. m.
81 am also enclosing cpy of
notice to the public relative to the
matter, dated November %. and
statement under date of Novem-
Der 2S, setting forth the purpose of
the hearing and suggesting certain
matters to be included with others
presented"
s. S. Hookland, president of the
Farm Bureau Marketing assoCia-
ton, commenting on the forego-
ing said that the cantaloupe indus
try in southern New Mexico can
not stand the high freight and
icing charges, land" he added
"unless these come down material
ly the growers in the Mesilla val
ley will abandon the crop.
THE freight and icing charges
this year amounted to S171.70 an
acre and as a result growers and
distributors alike lost money in
the deal This Is enough to ruin
amy farmer who speculates on can
taloupes. It is enough also to ruin
the distributor, who has been
compelled to divide the loss with
the grower.
"Our farmers have had enough
OF these losses and they have or
ganized to protect themselves
against 1922. Instead of signing
up with the individual distributors.
they have signed a contract with
the Farm Bureau Marketing as
ISOLATION, calling for specific guar
antees from the distributors over
and above the crate material The
guarantee is graduated so as to
diminish with the progress of the
season, and shipments to be Or
dered discontinued at any time the
conditions of the market shall not
warrant the payment Of these
guarantees.
1.-THE agreement also provides
that should the association fail TO
secure an immediate substantial
reduction In freight and icing
charges, and contracts with dis
tributors in line with the forego-
ing provisions, the association shall
be released from its obligation,
and the growers agree, in that
event, to grow no melons In 1922"
The committee elected by the
cantaloupe growers in the Mesilla
valley to have charge of the freight
rate fight includes s. S. Hook
land, c. f. Locke, P. r. McElroy,
Fl. II. Brook, II. U. Mcdowell.
James Quesenberry and n. NJ.
Smith. The committee has had
several meetings with Governor
Merritt C. Mechem of New Mexico,
and it is the belief OF the members
that matters may be so shaped up
that the cantaloupe industry may
be continued.
"If however. the committee,
should fail in this EFFORT" Mr..
Hookland said, the thousand or
more acres set aside for canta-
loupes should be planted to such
other crops as could be consumed
locally or marketed without gam
bling against the odds of prohibit
tive transportation.
1.-THE welfare of the farmers
as well as of the COM
munity as a whole demands that
concentration be made on such
lines Of production and such indus
tries as will so far as possible
eliminate risks and avoid disas-
trous losses. While we need in
this valley to encourage intensive
cultivation and the growing off
high priced crops, to carry the
costs Of production under irriga-
ton, we need more than anything
to play safe for the same reason
and to engage in such enterprises