No. 4.] UNITED STATES DAIRYING. 155 



under which it operates can be brought to accomplish the 

 object originally designed, some advantage in rates of trans- 

 portation for j^erishable- products ought to be secured to the 

 owners of high-priced and heavily taxed farming lands, 

 comparatively near our large markets, over the products of 

 farms much more remote. But this result is hardly likely to 

 l)e obtained without a combination of eastern farmers inter- 

 ested, strong enough to sustain a long, expensive and hard- 

 fought contest. 



The discrimination against milk and the unduly high rates 

 charged by most of the railroads carrying milk to New York 

 has led to united action on the [)art of milk producers ship- 

 })ing to that market ; and they deserve high praise for 

 bringing the su1)jcct before the Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mission, and bearing the heavy expense of presenting an 

 admirably prepared case, supported by a mass of testimony 

 which seems to be unanswerable. The decision has not yet 

 been made, partly because of this mass of testimony and 

 partly because of the gravity and far-reaching application of 

 the questions involved. 



The railroad charges for transporting milk to nearly all 

 our large cities are out of all reasonable proportion to the 

 value of the commodity and the actual cost of the service 

 rendered. The charges are more than the traffic will bear. 

 They are excessive and unjust. Unless this important 

 decision, when rendered, brings the desired relief the sub- 

 ject must be still further agitated, and the demand for 

 abatement must be steadily and vigorously pressed to an 

 ultimate and favoralile issue. 



More unreasonable and even absurd is the custom of charg- 

 ing for carrying over the same route more for a can of cream 

 than for a can of milk. The cost of service is practically 

 the same ; if there is any real difference it is in favor of the 

 cream which weighs rather less per gallon than milk. The 

 carriers assume no responsibility for loss or damage in either 

 case, and seldom furnish ice or refrigeration ; but if they did, 

 both being properly prepared, the cream will ))ear transpor- 

 tation the better, with less liability to injury, and it needs 

 less refrigeration than milk. This matter of reasonable 

 freight rates for cream is of growing importance, as the 



