Efforts to Secure Better Shipping Facilities and 
Rates. 
By F. D. Warner. 
Mr. President , Ladies and Gentlemen: 
For as far back as most of us can 
remember we have been complaining 
.of high freight rates on our fruit and 
vegetables, but it is only within the 
past year that any concentrated effort 
on our part has been taken to remedy 
the evil. Many cases of individual ef¬ 
forts have been made, but to no avail. 
But today we have a strong organiza¬ 
tion to fight for our rights, and if we 
can have the co-operation of all ship¬ 
pers we can accomplish much, we be¬ 
lieve. 
As most of you will recall, the 
Gainesville Melon Growers’ Associa¬ 
tion called a meeting in Jacksonville 
in February, 1907, for the purpose of 
securing a car-lot rate on our fruits 
and vegetables to the eastern markets 
and to form an association for that 
purpose. At that meeting there were 
some sixty members who joined and 
now we number over five hundred, 
with only one resignation during the 
year. 
Shortly after this meeting we had a 
conference with the representatives of 
the various railways leading out of the 
state, at the office of our secretary, J. 
C. Chase, Jacksonville, at which time 
they promised to take the matter up 
and give us some relief, but failed to 
do so; but instead asked us to meet 
them in Washington on November 
6th, which we did, our attorney also 
being present at this conference. We 
made them a compromise proposition, 
as follows: 5 cents reduction on stan¬ 
dard crates and 10 cents on bbls. or¬ 
anges and pineapples, with a refrigera¬ 
tion of 15 cents a package instead of 
20 cents, with a minimum of 20,000 
pounds to all eastern points. This 
they refused, but came back to us with 
a proposition-granting about one-half 
of our compromise ; which we in turn 
refused and took the matter before the 
Inter-State Commission in its original 
form, which amounts to much more 
than we were willing to compromise 
for. The first hearing before the Com¬ 
mission was held at Washington on 
February 4th, at which time we had 
eight witnesses from Florida and sev¬ 
eral from the commission merchants 
at the north. This meeting, as you 
know, was adjourned to Jacksonville 
on March 18th for the want of time, 
and as you all know we had a large 
representation. The final hearing 
takes place tomorrow at Washington, 
and we can look for some decision 
some time in June. 
There was a called meeting at Lake¬ 
land on April 21st, which meeting 
