THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



cost of the raw materials, other than fruit, the 

 chief of these other raw materials being sugar 

 and packages for holding the preserved article : 



Therefore, be it resolved, that this association 

 respectively, but most strongly, urges the Do- 

 minion Government to extend to the canning in- 

 dustry of this country the same system of aid 

 already extended to other industries, by enabling 

 them to buy their raw materials at the lowest 

 possible cost, and that to this end the duty on 

 sugar used in canning, and on packages used for 

 holding canned fruit, be remitted : 



And, further, that the Dominion Government 

 be petitioned to secure the enactments of legis- 

 lation compelling the labelling of all canned 

 preserves in such a way as to show what the 

 canned goods actually consist of as demon- 

 strated by official analysis; and, further, that 

 such goods be distinctly labelled, " Made in 

 Canada." 



FRUIT TRANSPORTAIION. 



THE carrying of their fruits has been 

 for years most unsatisfactory to fruit 

 growers. The present express and freight 

 rates were made up when fruit was a luxury 

 in Ontario, and very high priced in our mar- 

 kets. In those days when peaches and pears 

 often brought the grower $i.oo a basket, he 

 could well afford fifteen cents express 

 charges ; but now that these fruits often sell 

 at 25 and 30 cents a basket, he cannot afford 

 it. Besides, in those days there was not 

 one basket carried by the companies to one 

 hundred these days, so that they are unfair 

 in persisting in their high rates. The ques- 

 tion was brought up by G. C. Caston, chair- 

 man of the committee, and during the dis- 

 cussion many well grounded complaints 

 were plainly set forth. 



COMPLAINTS OF FRUIT SHIPPERS. 



^n^'A such a heavy carrying charge as fruit, 

 I nary commodity which is subjected to 



HERE is," said Mr. Dawson, " no ordi- 

 and there is no commodity in which the volume 

 of traffic offered is increasing so rapidly. We 

 must have a rate which will bear some compari- 

 son to rates imposed on other commodities, and 

 to this end we must not only present our de- 

 mand for relief, but we must, like the Millers' 

 Association, keep on pressing until we secure 

 relief." 



" The foundation grievance," said President 

 Bunting, " is that the railway people have 

 placed fruit in the category of luxuries, a ad 



have listed it as an article which should bear 

 the maximum rate. We must convince the.n 

 that fruit is not the luxury of the rich, but the 

 necessity of all. It is true that fruit requires 

 prompt handling by the railway people, but 

 there is the compensating advantage whi^h 

 comes from equally prompt return of roUina^ 

 stock. Fruit growers themselves must also as- 

 sist in improving the present conditions by join- 

 ing together and shipping car lots at one tim*^, 

 instead of shipping a num^ber of small lots liS 

 individuals." 



" There is," said Mr. McNeill, " no lack of 

 definiteness so far as our grievances are con- 

 cerned. Hundreds might be mentioned. Let 

 a few suffice. Apples are in class 5, and bear 

 the high rate imposed on goods shipped under 

 that class. They should be reduced to class 8, 

 and carried at the lower rate imposed on all 

 goods transported under such class. We ai;o 

 demand a change in regard to the rate on cars 

 consisting of mixed lots of fruits. Why, for in- 

 stance, when we put a few baskets of peach?s 

 in a car of cheap pears, or still cheaper toina- 

 toes, should the rate on the whole car be jumped 

 up from the comparatively low rate imposed on 

 pears and tomatoes to the very high rate im- 

 posed on peaches ? Why, again, should the 

 charge for a short haul be so utterly out of har- 

 mony with the charge for a long haul ? Why 

 should cull apples, shipped from Creemore to 

 Collingwood, a distance of ten miles, be charged 

 15 cents per cwt., while sugar beets can be ship- 

 ped a much greater distance for 40 cents •^'iv 

 ton? We should, furthermore, have a better 

 refrigerator car service, improved accommoda 

 tion at freight stations, and our express rates 

 should be cut in half." 



" I have," said E. D. Smith, M. P., " be->n 

 charged 70 cents per barrel for ten barrels of 

 apples shipped from Port Perry to Almon'.e, 

 while the rate on car lots from any point in 

 Ontario to Manchester in England is only 89 

 cents. Delays in shipments constitute an even 

 more serious grievance than the overcharge in 

 rates. I have had shipments twenty-nine days 

 on the way from Winona to Collingwood, thirty 

 days on the way from Owen Sound to Winona, 

 from seven to eight days to two weeks in cover- 

 ing a distance of 100 miles, and to have a shio- 

 ment two weeks on the way to Nova Scotia is a 

 common experience. Compare this with he 

 despatch which characterizes the handling of 

 freight in England. There is a daily freight 

 train to Manchester which, during a whole year, 

 has not varied thirty minutes in time of arrival 

 at destination. Compare even with our own 

 country on roads which have not an express de- 

 partment as part of their service, and where 

 there is no temptation to delay the freight ser- 

 vice where charges are comparatively low in or- 

 der to divert traffic to the express department, 

 where charges are most unreasonably high. I 

 can send goods to Petrolea by the M. C. R., on 

 which there is no express service, and whe e 

 efforts are made to provide a satisfactory freight 

 service, and ensure delivery next morning of 

 goods shipped in the afternoon." 



