FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 71 



TRANSPORTATION. 



For a long while the various American railway traffic associations 

 have discriminated against our Michigan baskets, or rather against all 

 baskets, and have charged one first class rate and a half for peaches in 

 baskets, while peaches in crates were carried for one first class rate. Two 

 years ago, through the efforts of our local railway people and the Grand 

 Eapids Fruit Growers' Association working together, the Central Traffic 

 Association were made to see the injustice of this discrimination, and 

 since then they have given us a one second class rate on peaches, which 

 is about one-half what we had formerly paid. By this reduction we have 

 been enabled to place our peaches in every considerable market within 

 the jurisdiction of the Central Traffic Association, with a fair margin of 

 profit for grower and shipper. I am not familiar with the exact limits 

 of this territory, but it extends as far east as Buffalo and south to the 

 Ohio river. 



Beyond these limits the old schedule of tariffs still holds and the rates 

 are so high that we are practically shut out from such markets as the 

 cities named below. These cities are all outside the limit of the Central 

 Traffic Association, while the rates to Buffalo, which is within the limit, 

 are 36 cents per hundred. These figures are for car lots. 



For the purposes of comparison I have prepared the following table. 

 The first figures given represent the rate now charged by the Eastern 

 Association ; the second the rates we desire, the same as charged by the 

 Central dissociation, or a second class rate. 



Amt. Differ- 

 ence. 



1. New York, 1.08, 20,000 pounds to car $216.00 



2. " " .62i, " " " " 125.00 



$91 00 



1. Philadelphia, 1.05, " " " " ._ 210.00 



2. " .60i, " " " " . 121.00 



89.00 



1. Rocheeter, .81i, " " " " 160.50 



2. " .46, " " " " 92.00 



68.50 



1. Syracuse, .8H, " " " " . 162 50 



2. " .50, " " " " 100.00 



62.50 



1. Utica, .97i, " " " " 195.00 



2. " .56. " ' 112.00 



83.00 



1. Albany. 1.03i, " " " " 207.00 



2. " .60, " " " " 120.00 



87.00 



1. Boston, 1.18i, " " " " . _ . 237.00 



2. " .68i, " ■ " " " 137.00 



100.00 



These rates are from Grand Rapids. 



Of course the cities first named are somewhat more distant than Buf- 

 falo, but after reaching that point the rates nearly double. 



There is not the least reason in the world for this discrimination, as 

 plums, quinces, cherries, oranges and lemons are rated as second class, 



