Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-05-25
GIVEN
FOR DROP IN
BERRY PRICES
Senate Bill introduced To Regu-
late Bus And Truck Traffic
On Highways
LOCAL FARMERS ARE
LAMENTING MARKETS

The strawberry season has, to date
been disappointing in so far as prices
are concerned. The maximum bio
has been around $500 and the mini
mum, $1.75. This, of course, does
not account for some lower prices
paid for fruit of obviously low grade
and in poor condition.
The Democrat" is in receipt of ar
article published in "The Produce
News" of May 1888. This reviews
the situation last year and intimates
it will apply equally to conditions this
year. The article was evidently re-
peated in view of the fact that BILL
Senate 3171, introduced by Senator
Dill and prepared by ]. B. Eastman,
Federal Coordinator Of Transportation
purports to regulate the truck and
bus traffic on the highways Of the
United States.
The article lays the low price of
berries on the Delmarva peninsula to
transportation by trucks. The "Demo-
crat publishes it with no idea of sup
porting it, but for every one to read
it and estimate it at it's worth. 1t
follows:
"The local strawberry market is
once again being completely democrat
lied by the excessive and unregulated
shipments of berries by auto truck.
Over $50 truckloads from Virginia and
Maryland came here on Monday night.
This total is equivalent to 100 cars.
There was no stable market, because
the trucks arrived at intervals, start
ing at IL o'clock on Monday night.
The last truck which came in at II
a. m. on Tuesday had been slated for
Mondays market and was in pretty
bad shape"
"On Tuesday, truck receipts totaled
$50 loads, equivalent to about $50
cars. Wednesdays truck receipts
were nearly as heavy as Mondays,
but on Thursday there was a slight
let-up, due probably to red ink returns
on shipments made earlier in the
week."
Zone large receiver said that the
situation looked exactly like repit-
ition of last year, when the market
became demoralized just before Decor
at. n Day and continued that way
prat tically for the balance of the seas
on.This dealer ventured the opinion
that, had these $50 truckloads of ber-
ries come in by rail, prices would have
been $1.25 per crate higher. The
market on Monday night ranged &c
to 10c at on loads that arrived early
in the evening and went as low as 81
crate on loads that arrived after the
market was over"
obviously, Strawberries are high
ly perishable. Experience has shown
that, unless they are sold on arrival,
they cannot be held over for any per-
iod of time, unless they are properly
preceded or are under refrigeration.
At this time of year, when berries
arrive after sunup in the moning, they
must be disposed of as quickly as
possible at any price at all, rather
than be kept in the store for 20 hours
before the next marketing day, by
which time they would be practically
useless"
Zone receiver pointed out that the
railroads have reduced their rates
from the Delmarva shipping section
to New York. They have also cut
their running time this season. Just
why, under these circumstances, ship
pers in those sections insist upon
shipping their berries by truck and
taking such tremendous loss is diff
ficult to understand"
"The consensus of opinion here is
that the quality of the berries coming
from Virginia and Maryland all last
and this week has been excellent. Re-
ceivers have no fault to find with
the fruit. They pointed out that the
likelihood of trucks arriving at all
hours makes a stable market impos-
sible. So long as shippers in those
sections continue to move this high
ly perishable commodity by truck just
so long will they ruin their obtain
ing high prices for the fruit"
Another drawback to selling her,
ries in this way is that many of the
smaller buyers hang around the mar
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