Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1921-06-13
RE OU.CT|ON
ON MELONS
SAVES BUT
LITTLE
Instead of Millions Growers
Will Benefit Less Than
S175,000 According to the
Statement of Disguised
Distributors.

Washington dispatches of yesterday
made the announcement that fiat
rate of $1.75 per 100 pounds on fruit
and vegetable shipments from the Pa
cific coast to all points in the East
would be established within the next
few days. All the continental carriers,
the dispatches stated, have designated
an agent TO file with the interstate
commerce commission the tariffs en-
bciylng the new rates, and that the
commission had waived the ruling re-
curing 80 days notice before the rate
becomes effective, in this case The
commission permitting the rate TO go
into effect after one days notice.
This is the reduction recently ar
nounced by the transcontinental
freight bureau, and except for the fact
that the wires state that it embodies
all points in the East, there is nothing
new in the situation. And in this in
stance the "all points," may or may
not include territory west Of the Mis-
sissippi river.
At the time this reduction was an
nounced the railroads had it figured
out that the reduction would save the
Cantaioupe growers Of the Imperial
valley millions IL freight charges. IN
analysis of the red>s tions howey 2r,
showed that the saving would be q
mere fraction of the amount stated by
the railroad experts, and the conse-
quent dissatisfaction Of the growers
was at once made known. AS the sea-
son advances this dissatisfaction con-
tlnues to grow and the longer the re.
duction order is held off the less will
be the amount Of the saving to the
shipper and the statement is made thvt
if the rate does not become effective
until Wednesday, the date set, the
having instead of being $5,000,000 or
more, will amount to about Sis, 900
By June Is it is estimated that 90 per
cent of the melon crop will have been
moved and on the remaining 40 per
cent the reduction will apply 20 no.
more than one-half of the shipments
as the reduction covers only points as.
of the Mississippi river.
In connection with the Statement. is
sued by The railroads of the reduction
is the following broadcasted yesterday
by the Brawley distributors:
The real facts in the case are: From
August, 1920, the rates on California
vegetables, including cantaloupes, were
advanced horizontally all the way
along the line 33 1-3 Der cent, amount
ing to 43 cents crate on Imperial
Valley cantaloupes. The recent freight
rate reduction amounted to an aver
age of about cents crate, leaving
the present rate 35 cents a crate
higher than last season.
I'VE are now laboring ander such a
depression that we cannot hope to
obtain anywhere near the results of
last year. Our growing cost for the
year 1920 was $3.50, the average
freight rate for 1920 was 1874, max
ing q total cost delivered Of $3.50 per
crate. Our growing cost Of the crop
we are now marketing is $17G, the
freight we have paid this season ~
date has averaged SLIT, or a total OF
1888, or a liability of 20 cents pc.
crate over last season.
THE cantaloupe crop in Imperial
! Valley is estimated at 100000 crates.
If all of these cantaloupes are shipped
it would mean a freight bill Of be-
tween $6,500,O 900 and $7,000.000 while
! the present reduction instead u Sl0,-
! 100000 saved to the growers. rs this
article states, will Only amount TO APP
proXimately 100000.
! THE growers, the bankers, in fact
everyone interested in this great in
dustry are incensed at the action Of
the transcontinental lines, in offering
them such a slight reduction. We all
felt that the present high freight rate
will be the cause of having to luaVe
400O to 5000 cars Of these eantaloupea
10 rot in the field.