EDITORIAL NOTES. 



109 



(3) Want of proper accommodations at the 

 stations. 



(4) I>elays in transmission of fruit. 



(5) Scarcity of cars. 



(6) Want of facilities for tracing cars. 



(7) Delays in settling claims. 



(8) Refusal to give special facilities for fruit 

 shipments, such as (a) " decking " cars for bas- 

 kets, (b) the use of ventilated cars, (c) the use 

 of refrigerator cars, (d) the use of frost-proof 

 cars, or (e) the use of heated cars. 



(9) Refusal to give a receipt for the number 

 of packages delivered by the shipper. 



(10) Difficulties with express companies. 



(11) Demurrage charges. 



(12) Want of competent or sufficient help at 

 stations, etc. 



The following are some of the resolutions 



passed in committee, embodying some of the 



many points which are to be laid before the 



Railway Commission : 



EQUIPMENT. 



Resolved, That the Ontario Fruit Grow- 

 ers' Association, through this committee, pe- 

 tition the Railway Commission to at once 

 take steps to compel the railways of Canada 

 to provide proper equipment for the car- 

 riage of perishable freight, such as fruit, 

 during both summer and winter, viz., good 

 clean ventilated cars, or refrigerator cars, 

 well iced, during summer, and heated or 

 frost proof cars during winter, and of such 

 a make as to insure the arrival of the goods 

 in as good condition as receipted for, rea- 

 sonable allowance being made for ripening ; 

 and that railways be compelled to provide 

 sufficient equipment for such service within 

 one week from shippers' request at any point 

 where they have freight stations, and that 

 the employes be compelled to keep a record 

 of the temperature maintained in such cars 

 at least once every twelve hours, and that 

 thermographs be carried, when furnished, as 

 a check on said operators, to see that that 

 temperature is reported correctly, and that 

 tracers be sent after each car, with the privi- 

 lege to the shipper of being provided with 

 information at least once each day by tlie 

 local agent of the location of such car in 

 transit. 



INSPECTION. 



Resolved, That the inspectors under 'he 

 Fruit Marks Act at IVIontreal and other 

 Canadian points should be empowered to 

 prevent vessel owners from placing fruit in 

 parts of a ship not provided with mechani- 

 cal ventilation ; also that the Dominion De- 

 partment of Agriculture be requested to 

 place thermographs in all compartments in 

 which fruit is carried, as well as on the deck 

 of the vessel, as a check ; and further, that 

 the chief inspector in Great Britain be te- 

 quired to return to the department a state- 

 ment of the record shown by the thermo- 

 graphs. 



DELAYS IN TRANSIT. 

 Resolved, That in view of the intolerable 

 delav in the transit of perishable products 

 to and from interior points involving heavy 

 losses, we would urge upon the railway such 

 regulations as will ensure the carrying of 

 these goods wdth all dispatch practicable, 

 making a time limit for definite distances. 

 INTOLERABLE DELAYS IN SETTLING CLAIMS. 

 Resolved, That the Railway Commission 

 be requested to take immediate action to en- 

 force all railways doing business in Canada 

 to examine and report definitely on all 

 claims presented for delays, damages cr 

 overcharges to perishable freight, within 

 one month from receipt of such claim when 

 presented with the necessary documents in 

 support of such claims. 



GRIEVANCES. 

 In discussing the above many instances of 

 injustice to shippers were brought out, such, 

 for example, the unfair discrimination be- 

 tween rates on apples and pears, by which a 

 few boxes of pears for export put in a car 

 of apples largely increases the rate on the 

 whole car ; or between the rates on flour and 

 apples, the former being carried to Liver- 

 pool for 38 cents a barrel and the latter for 

 90 cents. Even this would not be so much 

 of a grievance if the apples were given su- 



