Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-05-27 | Page 4 | Western Food Men Oppose Increase

WESTERN FOOD if OPPOSE IKE Contest Railroads' 15 Per Cent Freight Advance Before Be-fore Commission. WASHINGTON", May 26. Foo.l pro-duccrs pro-duccrs ami other shippers opposing the request of the railroads for a fjeneral . per cent increase in freight rutes be-"au be-"au toilay the j.reentation of their si.le of the case to tho interstate commerce com-merce commission. During the day's ....nJf. .-.r,l irnAn hodies also SVlb- in it toil evidence on the side ot the roads. Representatives of western food producers pro-ducers and jol.l.ers, fruit .iur aud bottle-interests, bottle-interests, natural ice manufacturers of New .Jersey and fhicagj, and the Colorado Colo-rado grange appeared in opposition to any increase. 1 hose .who supported the plea of the roads that an increase is notifiable were the Chicago Traffic commission, the National Industrial Traffic league, the Boston Chamber of Commerce and a committee representing represent-ing .Sioux Citv, Iowa, commercial interests. in-terests. The "western rood producers emphasized that no additional cost should bo placed at this time on food products and declared that a 1" per cent fate increase would disturb all existing adjustments between distributing distribut-ing centers, as well as many future contracts con-tracts in canned goods and dry cereals. Already, tbev said, their promises had sustained an advanco of per cent siuco 1914. L. A. Kinne.v, speaking for the western west-ern fruit jobbers and tho National League of Commission Merchants, com posed of 30,000 growers, distributors, shippers and receivers, said the proposed pro-posed increase would fall heavily on the whole industry, and George J. Kin-1 del, reprs-n-ting the Colorado interests, propt-fl that an increase of 1 cent par hundred pounds would be more ecraitabie. Tho problem is not one of higher or lower rates, but of differentials, differen-tials, Mr. Kindel said, contending that Denver would bo discriminated against under a 1" per cent general increase. "Our peoplo are not going to stand for it," he said, "although it probably would satisfy the sugar trust, which seems to .ret what it wants." V. II. Young, representing the fruitgrowers fruit-growers of Nebraska, declared that, since food products already had sus-.,;,.. sus-.,;,.. l an n.K-iinfn nf I1:! T.er cent since 1SH-4, it would bo manifestly unfair to ' i make any addition now. j C. G. Childe, representing Sioux City commercial interests, declared they were: not opposed to a general increase, pro- j vbled the commission found it neces-1 sarv. He asked that the relation be-j tween interstate rates and intrastate j rates in South Dakota bo preserved.