Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-06-10
HEARING
OPENS MONDAY
AT HARLINCEN
Standardized Pack and
Uniform Weights to
Be Discussed at In
formal Conference

HARLINGEN, June 9.-Shipeprs
end growers from all parts of the
Valley and a number of railroad
representatives are expected TO as
semble here Monday morning for the
Interstate commerce commission
hearing on Docket No. 3026, relat-
ing TO vegetable shipping weights,
which Will be held before VIM. II.
Partell Of Washington, director Of
the commisSion's bureau Of service.
Mr.. Barteli will arrive in Harlin-
gen Sunday morning. according to a
communication received Saturday by
James A. Lawson, representative of
the commission. who has spent five
months in making a survey of VAL
ley vegetable shipments.
The hearing will open with an in
formal conference at the city hall
starting at . o'clock Monday morn
ing. All phases of Valley vegetable
shipments will he discussed, and an
effort made to arrive at u definite
understanding relative 70 a standard
rack and uniform weight. The
'bulged pack" will be discussed, and
a brief resume of the data collect
I'd by Mr.. Lawson relative TO the
lick of uniformity OF Valley packs
will be presented.
Growers and shippers Of the VAL
ley have been requested by the I. G..
L representatives to he present and
participate in the discussions. Rep
resentatives Of the commission are
confident that an agreement will be
reached TO standRrdiEe packs aud fix
a season weight on commodities, this
weight TO be established upon data
secured by the commission after sew
en- years OF investigation.
Formal hearing on the weight mat
ter will open at the city hall at 0
a m. Tuesday. June IL. Evidence
will be submitted and the record
VIII 20 to the commission for a de-
eision. The principal features 10
tie brought out at the hearing will
b. the question Of the size Of vege-
table containers and the n OF
attaching the tops.
Following the completion Of the
hearing on the weight matter the
!. {. G.. representatives will take up
TIE rates on seed potatoes from Wy
oming and Nebraska points, which
Valley receivers maintain are unreal
Inc present rate - $l.uI
ard S0.96, which Valley dealers con-
tend should be reduced very ma
ttrially. Action for r~eparatioRs,
Lased upon these rates, were filed
last year by three Brownsville re-
C~eivers Of seed potatoes.
Two or three r~eparations cases in
Nolving rates on beets, carrots and
several other commodities are also
expected to come before the !. c. c.
representatives. and the hearings
nav continue throughout the week.
Under the present arrangement
caily weights are required on all
vegetable shipments, and ID is under
stood that both carriers and shippers
are in favor Of establishing a sea
0 weight basis. This can he &C
ecmplished only by establishing a
standard pack and uniform weight of
filled containers. Weights of vege-
tables vary somewhat during the
shipping season. but ID is believed
that sufficient data on these varia-
tions has been obtained TO assure a
fair approximation which could be
used as the shipping weight for the
season. To accomplish this the
''bulged pack must he eliminated,
shippers state, and II Is understood
that the majority are in favor Of
standardizing.