, 1935-03-31
Differences BetWeen
Trucker and PeddLer
Explained by Miles

products at a fair profit. Very often
If the trucker cannot sell the re-
taller, he goes direct to the consul
mer with a cheaper price than that
paid by some Of the dealers.
Many Of these truckers buy q
machine on time. whether II be
secondhand or new. They are will
ing TO sell their fruit. in most cases.
at a very low profit in order to
make a bare living or expenses; and.
too often, rather than hold their
perishable articles. they sell at a
loss. o for enough TO buy ham and
eggs and gasoline for a return trip.
Thus. 1t will be seen that wherever
the 'peddler" trucker penetrates II
Is impossible to fix the prices at
point Of production as is done when
CARROTS are sold. The trucker usually
buys the cheapest inferior grades.
These products often need r~efrigera-
ton and quick sale-they are good
today and rotten tomorrow. When
transported by truck they often
arrive In bad condition. When they
are shipped in carload lots. under
refrigeration or proper ventilation.
they arrive in good condition. bill
ed to jobbers who are responsible
and have their money invested In
real estate and valuable properties,
and are substantial Taxpayers to
state and communities. They add on
a small profit and distribute our
wares to the retailers In smaller
towns through for hire" truckers
and regular transportation lines ut
substantially the same prices. Some
people argue that the trucker MAY
sell direct TO the consumer at q
cheaper price than the consumer
could buy through regular channels
Of trade; however. II the producer
cannot make q living. he must
cease to produce and the price to
the consumer for the products pur-
chased from the surviving producers
will be extraordinarily high.
Nine out Of ten farmers under
today's conditions would naturally
favor the trucker In legislation to
pound down railroad rates. not un-
Outstanding that II the maximum
load OF the ''peddler" trucker is in
creased, along with that of the
for hire" trucker. that our mar
kets will be demoralized as far
north as Minneapolis and st. Paul.
Any sales manager in the Rio
Grande Valley will tell you that II
this legislation Is allowed to pass
and the "peddler" trucker. by rea-
son Of greater tonnage hauled, is
allowed to operate farther from the
Valley. that the market for our pro-
ducts in the entire middle west will
be demoralized, and this would be
too big a price to pay for any re-
duction in freight rates which
might be forced by favoring the
"peddler" trucker. III the maximum
tonnage were increased to such an
extent that the "peddler" trucker
could drive profitably TO st. Louis
and Kansas City, and the rail rates
were cut in half to these points. any
shipper will agree that he could not
sell CARROTS in those towns. for the
'peddler" trucker would demoralize
the markets so that jobbers would
not buy.
1t is unfortunate that the bills
which were introduced in the legis-
lature provided for the raising Of
the maximum tonnage for all truck
carriers; so. in order to prevent
further chaos in our markets. in a
greater territory, it is TO the VAL
ley's interest TO kill the bills now
introduced.
However. II our legislature will
pass a measure which will Prevent
any truck owner or operator from
buying agricultural products in the
area OF production for the purpose
OF resale, or acting as agent for
such buyer or seller then the VAL
lev could afford 10 support a bill
raising the maximum tonnage for
for hire" trucks. II by means of