Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-17
DUTY ON ORANGES.
A Petition to Have 1t Increa seq
kesnR Circulated.

Petition to Have 1t Incrca sed
Being Circulated.
The Los Angeles horticultural Com
mission has appointed Mr.. Hiram Ham
ilton, of Orange, Mr.. A. F. Kerchival, of
this city. aud Mr.. G. M. Heintz to pre-
sent this memorial for signature to the
orange growers OF Southern California
and elsewhere:
We, your memorialists, citizens of the
United States, engaged in the industry
Of horticulture and citrus fiuit growing
in the State of California, in view of the
probable readjustment OF the present
tariff at the ensuing session of Congress,
do most earnestly and respectfully call
your attention TO the following facts and
figures.
The citrus fruit industry, although yet
muneration to many Thousand of Ameri-
and employees, and nearly 5000
TRANSPORTED oy rail to VARIOUS portions OF
twenty-five cents to $3.50 per box for
ordinary good Seeding oranges delivered
on board the cars at various citrus.pro.
duciDg centers is perhaps fair average
price, and as low rate as will fairly
compensate the producer, and enable
him to pay such wages as free-born
American laborer is entitled to demand.
1t is therefore with the greatest apprehen.
sion that we look upon the increasing
production, and shipments Of oranges
and lemons by foreign countries to our
marketa-notably Mexico, whore owing to
the fact that the lands are worth but
a nominal price and are held by few
great proprietors, that under their
peculiar system Of peonage labor ia
readily procurable for thu pitiful sum OF
10 or u cents per diem, and that
citrus fruits grow almost spontaneously
they can, and will in the very near
future, enter into such deadly and
ruinous competition with us that we
shall necessarily be compelled t5 aban-
don our orchards and exc out miserable
existence in some other way.
In Sonora and adjacent Mexican
States, with their system Of landholding
and unpaid labor, they can and will de-
liver oranges and lemons on board the
cars at the rate of 10 cents per box,
whenever competition shall have become
sufficiently sharp and keen as to demand
it. The present tariff is but 25 cents per
box, and 81 60 per !, 200 loose. By ship.
ping choice, large oranges loose, 1000
would fill from ten to twelve boxes. con-
saquently they would pay duty Of only
from 1875 to 16 cents per box, and that
for the most choice fruit. This would
make them cost free on board the cars
from 23115 to 26 cents per box, and with
such rates, unless the tariff is revised in
our favor, we shall inevitably soon have
to compete.
Although labor in the countries border
ing on the Mediterranean is but poorly
paid, land is 80 high that their competi.
ton cannot prove so destructive to our
interests, vet with the low rate OF freight
by steamers and sailing vessels, it is suf
ficiently threatening to demand, in the
interests of large portion of intelligent
and patriotic American citizens, ma.
terial advance in the rate of duty upon
all citrus fruits.
We therefore most earnestly ask that
instead OF the present inadequate protec-
ton given US, duty of not less than so
cents per box, or IS per l 900 loose, shall
hereafter be imposed upon all oranges
and lemons imported In the Unitad
States from any foreign country. All
which is respectfully submitted for your
earliest and most earnest consideration.