Year: 1877




The Committee on Freight Rates" ap-
pointed by the Peach Growers meeting at
Middletown, has had lively correspond
cnce with President Hinckley, Of the Rail
road Company. Here is the correspondence
in full:


THE PEACH GROWERS LETTER.


To President Ivaac HmchIly and Directors
p. ". & B. u. Il. :-GENTLEMEN We adj
dress you on the yearly topic Of peach
frcghts in this manner, as being a fuller,
stronger and more deliberate form of COM
munication.


Frst--We ask you to give for your road
and to favor to other roads a reduction in
freight in accordance with the financial
srinkage of all business. Your transpor-
tation charge from the same point on
peaches is over 400 per cent more than on
corn. The business of carrying peaches to
New York is probably LOCO per cent
greater from this Peninsula than the carry
ing of corn is. Will you not do something
to change somewhat this apparently in
verted order?


Sccond-Wc ask that no dscriminative
tariffs in favor of any route or routes be
be undertaken attempting to influence
prices. but that you leave to the markets
and the grower unrestricted liberty to
settle the supply. Further, we specially
request that your and our old patrons, the
consumers in Philadelphia and New York
city and tributaries, shall have the advan-
tage Of any reduction in expenses to be
made, as well as the new and unreliable
consumer Of the West.


Third-We ask in addition to reasona-
BILE production in freight to all points, which
the times demand, that if your company
take advantage Of the great economy to
you, in doinf, away with the chartered car,
that the grower shall receive fair share OF
the 40 per.ceht (which you are reported as
claiming) of the new over the old and very
remunerative system, especially as the ex-
pertinent is made against the prejudices
and at the risk Of the grower.



porter to inaugurate any measures tending
to coerce the grower, commission merchant
and consumer, as to the manner in which
they shall carry on their own private busi
ness, either as to the giving the basket al
sale of the fruit, or in any other way. We
have always had a right for the return oi
empties in our chartered cars and un
doubtedly paid for it, and your company
cannot reasonably insist upon no return
freghts, as you have always claimed, that
their comparative absence was the cause
of the apparent high charge for the car
riage of fruits.


Fifth-We understand your proposition
to be that the rates Of freight be reducet
to all west of Pittsburg points 80 per cent
and that the rate to New York and beyonc
be not reduced but changed, perhap
raised, your reasons being; that to reduc
the freight to New York would be no ad
vantage to the grower, as the market vii
be overloaded with the present crop, an
the reduction going West, by oferin
favorable inducements, will be the ''clou
by day" to attract the attention of tn
grower and generally conduce to hi
benefit. For the New York shipper it
better to have high rates, for the Wester
shipper low rates. 1t cannot be possibl
that both theories can be correct, assumin
fair degree of intelligence in the grove
to direct shipments. We must repudiat
such paternal governing theory an
practice. If you undertake thoroughly
regulate the market your schedule mu
undergo frequent and violent changes, an
clearly involve disaster to our bushes
We ask you not to know unfairly eth
places or persons. Let the rule be, charg
according to difficulty and distanc
Your officials argue that the peach grove
fostered by the low charges Of the compan
have overplanted, and thereby brought Il
interest and themselves to the present il
poyerished condition, and advise the takil
up Of half the stock. We believe that yo