The rail-freight index for all 

 fishery products and byproducts 

 registered 52.3 percent higher in 

 1952 than in the base year 1947. 

 The fish meal category shows the 

 greatest percentage increase, with 

 the index for 1952 at 159.6. Fish 

 oil ranks slightly lower, with an 

 index of 158.7. The most valuable 

 of the product groups, canned fish, 

 advanced to 144.1. 



Rail-express rates 



Rail express has been important 

 in the transportation of fresh and 

 frozen fishery products since the 

 turn of the century, but in recent 

 years the motor carrier has sup- 

 planted express as the leading 

 transporter of fresh and frozen fish. 

 Canned fish and other preserved 

 fish products have never been car- 

 ried in large quantities by express. 

 Generally speaking, rail-express 

 rates on fishery products changed 

 little from 1922 until 1939. The 

 increase effective April 15, 1939, is 

 the starting point for the index. 

 Since that date, several rate changes 

 have been made. 



The rail-express index (table 5) 

 was developed from 30 representa- 

 tive routes for fresh and frozen fish 

 and shellfish traffic (table 2). The 

 routes were selected on the basis of 

 experience. The index is divided 

 into five regions. The Great Lakes 

 region, from which more express 

 fish traffic originates than from any 

 other region, was allotted 10 routes. 

 Each of the other four regions was 

 apportioned routes according to the 

 volume of express traffic estimated 

 to originate in the region. The 

 destination points of the routes used 

 are often outside the region where 



the shipments originated. This 

 occurs because of the necessity for 

 reflecting shipments to large con- 

 suming centers outside the region. 



The rail-express index is based 

 on 100-pounds-net-weiglit rates for 

 any-quantit}^ shipments, in addi- 

 tion to rates for quantity shipments 

 (on a net weight of 100 pounds of 

 fish, the charge is for 125 pounds 

 gross; for most shellfish, the l^illing 

 weight allowed is 150 pounds). For 

 example, 1 00-pounds-net-weight 

 rates for shipments ranging from 

 1,000 to 2,000 pounds in weight and 

 for shipments over 2,000 pounds 

 were included for certain routes. 

 In some cases where rates on the 

 basis of 200-pounds-minimum ship- 

 ments were given, these also were 

 included. 



There are marked variations in 

 the increases, with a range in 1952 

 of index numbers from 132.3 for the 

 Great Lakes, to 167.0 for New 

 England. Apparently, the Railway 

 Express Agency rates were lower in 

 the Great Lakes area. Average 

 indexes in other regions for 1952 

 were: Middle Atlantic, 145.2; Pa- 

 cific Coast, 144.1; South Atlantic 

 and Gulf, 144.7. 



Motor-carrier rates 



Modern refrigerated equipment 

 and lower rates have enabled motor- 

 carrier operators to become the 

 leaders in transporting fresh and 

 frozen fishery products. Their 

 lower rates have carried them into 

 new markets and have diverted a 

 considerable amount of traffic from 

 rail freight and rail express. 



Truckers of fishery products are 

 not required to file rates wdth the 

 Interstate Commerce Commission; 



