Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-14

OohiieI Sldi enterprises only tend to supply
those who are the foundation workers );
hence large enterprises in trade are benef-
clal TO the farmer and thus to the State
Gro.-Are you aware that many fruit
growers have made no profit this year?
Mer.-Well, | confess that l haye not
paid as close attention to the issues of this
industry as l should have, and now will.
l knew something was wrong somewhere.
Tor felt II 10 considerable extent in bust
ness. Nor am | alone the sufferer Go
through Battery, Sansome and Market
streets, and inquire, and you will find the
complaint general. From there visit the
retail stores, and you will find that behind
the professional smile" turks unpleasant
traces of diminished trade.
Croft this is bur sample, what will
continuation of Improbable seasons to the
small grower result in?
Mer.-ln general stagnation and decay.
with all its attendant evils.
Gro.-What should be done to avert this
threatened evil?
Mer.-All should heed the words OF
Governor Stanford, who said: " II behooves
every man WHO'S interested in fruit growing
and the welfare of the State to study this
question thoroughly"
Gro.-What in your Judgment should be
done 10 aid III making the industry profit
able?
Mer.--I am hardly prepared to say be-
cause OF lack OF information. Perhaps there
has been an oyerproduction.
Croft you think that Governor Stan
ford is any authority. permit me to quote
what he said at the Fruit-growers Conyen-
ton; There are 100000 of people on
the other side of the continent who wish
our fruits if they can have them at fair
prices-at prices which they can afford TO
pay" Now we not alone have not supplied
these 50,000,000 people with fruit, but
doubt if we have supplied half a million.
And as for overproduction, if We are to
encourage the small ranch system Tin order
to overcome the loss of the mining inter
ests and the loss of trade in the northern
and southern part of the COAST have we
really oyerproduced before we have fairly
started in? If we have, the scheme of
concentrating or augmenting desirable
and permanent population ceases right
here, and California must decline to the
level of 4 normal condition; :" but can
assure you if we permit the decline to the
normal condition the fur will fly" dur
ing the process and some one will get hurt
Talk about overproduction now? r. J.
Trumbull, while in the Fruit-growers' Con-
vention. said There has been glut in
the market this year, and the surplus next
year Will be greater" So you see we have
only had sample so far more serious
business is expected in the near future.
Mer.-Yut the case does not appear as
hopeless as one might imagine, for you
have the fifty millions of people at the
East who want the fruits, if they can have
them at reasonable prices. Now, why
don't you growers sell your fruits at rea-
sonable prices?
f,;anJ H. -
sonahle enough, and with vengeance,
when growers are compelled to sell fine
Crawford peaches at 20 and % cents box,
when the box alone costs seven cents. Is
not that reasonable enough?
Mer.-So the glut was in the East, was
it?
Gro.-No, there was no glut in the East :;
the peaches that sold here at 20 to 25 cents
per box, brought $2@2 so per box East.
Mer.-Well, why did not the growers
ship their fruit East?
Gro.-I will answer this question by ask
ing you another. Do you carry stock of
buttons, needles and suspenders2
Mer.-Yes.
Gro.-Suppose that you desired to ship
some needles, buttons, or suspenders, and
the railroad company compelled you to
engage carload for each of the articles in
question?
Mer,-Preposterous and absurd. A car
load OF needles would last all of California
for many years. What has this to do with
fruit?
Gro.-Simply this: As impossible and
impracticable as it is for you to order car
load of needles, so it is both impracticable
and impossible for the average grower to
ship carload of fruit at one time. Now.
allow me to ask you another question
What, in your judgment, would be the eff
feet on the furnishing goods or dress goods
trade if only full carloads of a certain line
would be permitted to be shipped?
Merit would lead to disastrous mo-
nopoly. and would tend to bring these lines
of goods into the hands of a few capitalists,
who would sell at any price their whim or
fancy might dictate.
SERIOUS QUESTION.
Gro.-Have We not serious question be-
fore us?
Mer.-None more serious, for if there is
really an overproduction, why are immi-
grafton agents and their movers permitted
to delude the unwary? Is it honorable?
Is it just? On the other hand, if there is
no overproduction land we have Governor
Stanford's word for it that there is mott,
why should the grower sell at a loss and
the people East pay price outrageously
high?
Gro.-Again, I call Governor Stanford to
witness the correctness of my assertions.
and shall quote what be said at the Fruit
Growers Convention on that subject
" The price now charged for freight
5000 per carload-has little to do with the
price of fruit when it arrives at the East.
as you will readily see when cherries are
sold in the East at 80 cents per pound"
Mer.-I can readily admit the business of
the conclusion that any partial or effectual
bar preventing the transportation of q COM
modify will react disastrously on the pro-
ducers unless they have a home market.
Little as / may know of the full extent of
the fruit productions in California, am
satisfied, however, that if fruit-growing
Is to become the main industry, the ques-
lions of transportation and market are
second in importance only to the capability
of production. Now we all know that the
capabilities are here, for no one will denv
the fact that fruit of the first quality, and
in almost unlimited quantities can be
raised here hence let us turn our attention
to the probabilities OF market, and when
that Is settled We can take up the question
of transportation. What market is there
for the fruits now produced, and that of the
probable increase of production?
dro.-Aslde from the remarks of Gov
ernor Stanford, to the effect that
there are fifty millions of people ON
the other side of the continent who wish
our fruits, if they can have them at fair
prices--at prices at which they can afford
to pay -there are yet two other reasons
why we surely have market, not only for
time, but as long as there are fifty millions
Of people east of us.
WHY WE HAVE MARKET.
The first reason is, that our fruits ripen
sooner than those of the East or South. and
hence we have, for a time, at least, no com
petition. The second reason is, that many
varieties of our fruits, conspicuously our
choice table grapes. cannot be grown any
where in the East or South. Hence, in this
one article, California has, as it were, a
monopoly In production. There can,
therefore,, be no question about the produc-
ion and market. Let us now take ND the !
question of transportation. I.certain1y do |
mt think tb af bo no, !