A controversy, that it is scarcely an exaggeration to designate as typical, occurred several years ago between the growers of watermelons in a Southwestern State and the railroads conveying the melons to the primary markets. In comparatively a few years that region had become so productive that the shipments of watermelons over one road alone ranged from 1,400 to 1,800 cars during a watermelon season, deliveries being made all over Ohio and Indiana through dealers from those States who came down and bought the melons at the farms. The contention for lower rates had waxed so warm that a reduction in the watermelon rate became the issue upon which a legislative campaign was fought. The candidate pledged to secure a reduction in the rate was elected, and introduced a bill, which was enacted by the legislature, making the rate to the nearest primary market 7½ cents per 100 pounds. The railroad companies put this rate in effect and used it as a basis for the lowering of rates to the territory beyond. During the year of this rate reduction the traffic department of the railroad company referred to sent word to the farmers that the company had handled 1,500 cars of melons that season, the prompt shipment of which had been highly satisfactory to the growers. It furthermore said that the movement of these melons from that territory was a one-way traffic entirely, it being necessary to send special cars empty for the crop. These were necessarily stock cars that there might be ample ventilation, but they had to be supplied with extra slats in order that the melons might not fall out. It was necessary for them to be switched in requisite number on side tracks especially built adjoining the farms where the fruit was grown; that switching engines be kept at work, putting cars in and taking cars out all night and all day. The cars of melons, moreover, had to be hauled on special trains at a high rate of speed to get them to the markets before they spoiled. This reduced the tonnage per train fifteen or twenty per cent below the maximum that could be hauled at the normal freight train speed. A car with the average allowable load of 1,100 watermelons would contain but about twelve tons, although its capacity would be eighteen or twenty tons; the weight of the car exceeded the weight of the load. The switching and other special movements necessitated the employment of night telegraph operators and other extra help at the melon fields. All of these conditions led the assistant to the general manager of the company to make an analysis of the expenditure as compared with the earnings. Waybills were abstracted and the receipts listed. A tabulation was made of the revenue tonnage, the gross tonnage, the tare weight, and the expenses incurred in behalf of the traffic. He found that the handling of the 1,500 cars of watermelons involved a loss to the company of $12,000 if the expenses of operation alone were considered.