west coast to various Eastern areas there is usually designated a 

 blanket charge which is the same for any point of origin in the par- 

 ticular area covered. Changes in these published coinmodity rates 

 are made usually only after adequate hearings and study. Assuming 

 that all TN'est coast tuna canners were surrounded by equal produc- 

 tion conditions little saving in the cost of transporting their 

 products could be realized under present rate-making procedure. The 

 fact that production conditions in this area are not equal accounts 

 for much of the difference in the cost of placing canned tuna in the 

 consumer's hands at a particular place rather than differences in 

 shipping charges. It must also be realized that there are regional 

 differences in shipping charges on canned tuna produced in other 

 regions. However, it has been noted that such production is relative- 

 ly small at the present time. 



Table 83 illustrates the relationship of transportation rates to 

 the average retail price of the solid-pack, light-m^t, fancy No.l/2 

 can of tuna. The table shows the cents per case value and the per- 

 centage of the retail price that is obtained by various transporta- 

 tion agencies for selected types of movements. In general, transporta- 

 tion rates ranged between, a low of ,5 percent of the retail price for 

 canned tuna when shipped via truck, from Terminal Island, CalTfornia 

 to San Francisco, Californiaj to a high of 3»22 percent of the retail 

 price when shipped via railroad, from Terminal Island, California, to 

 Boston, Massachusetts. In no case, was there an increase in 1952 

 over 1950 greater than .6 percent of retail price, regardless of the 

 type carrier rates used for comparison. Railroad transportation 

 rates in 1950, from the Pacific coast to the cities named did not 

 exceed 3 percent of the retail price arii in several instances aver- 

 aged closer to 2 percent On a cents per case basis the "hargeL; 

 averaged approximately UU cents or less than one cent per No „ 1/2 can 

 on a 48-can standard case basis. By 1952 the railroad rates, as a 

 percentage of the average indicated 1952 canned tuna retail price 

 had increased a maximum of only .6 percent to Mew York, New York, 

 and a mininaim of .33 percemt to Atlanta, Georgia. All these rail- 

 road increases amount to about 3»3 cents on a per case basis because 

 practically all railroad rates were increased the same maximum amount 

 12 cents per hundred weight. 



For inter-coastal boat charges frcm Pacific coast ports, only 

 the Northeastern Atlantic ports of Boston, Massachusetts, and New 

 York, New York, are indicated in table 83 since the greatest part of 

 all canned tuna shipped via boat is destined there. Inter-coastal 



377 



