Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-26
FRESH FRUITS.
One of the Missions of the Railway Ex-
hibition.
rs. F. Bulletin, October 25th. !


RS. F. Bulletin, October 25th.
california on Wheels" will soon depart
for the East, and much good to the State is
expected from this trip. The State Board
of Trade will receive weekly bulletins from
those in charge of the exhibit, and these
reports will contain the number of inhabi-
tants in each town and city in which the
cars lay over, together with information re-
garding the sale of California products
there. If no house in the town is handling
California goods the merchants of this
State will be apprised of the fact, and the
reasons for this nonhandling will also be
made known.
At present small dealers cannot order
green California fruits and for this reason
many of the small towns west of the Mis-
sissippi are obliged to go without them.
This rowing exhibit of the State Board of
Trade is intended to make demand for
them, and means have been created to
supply the demand without the aid of
middlemen. Small dealers can send in
orders of any size. These orders will be
filed at once. All orders from one section
of country will be sent to a central point
and without any trouble to those ordering
the goods will be distributed to the differ
ent points from which the orders emanated.
By this arrangement retailers can order
goods in lots to suit and receive the same
without the aid of middlemea at freight
rate of say two cents per pound. Our fruit
is ready for shipment almost thirty days
before similar fruit is ripe in the East, and
under the new method of procedure such
thing as an over-supply is an impossi-
bility.
In this connection, however, it should be
stated that exceptionally fine goods COM
oil 1or rbo efa 70
ment is made and is incontrovertible, that
one fruit. grower of this State received Is
cents pound for his grapes on the vine.
The fruit was extra quality table grapes OF
the Flame Tokay variety and the buyer,
who also shipped them East, saw that they
were carefully graded and packed. This
carload, when it reached its point of desti-
nation, brought the sum of 81, $50, leaving
handsome profit in the hands of the ship
per after all expenses were paid.
Among fruit growers, generally, there is
an impression that rates on fruit shipments
will be lowered next year, and this can not
but result in largely increased shipments Of
green California fruits East. Just at pres,
ent, however, there is cry going up that
the railroad companies are discriminating
against upper California, and have been
shipping oranges from Los Angeles to the
East for one-half the rate they have been
charging growers farther to the north for
green fruit. Inquiry into this alleged dis
elimination was made to-day, resulting in
the following information From Southern
California there are many competing lines
of railroad, and under the Interstate Com
merce Act road having a long haul be-
tween two points can charge just as little for
thesame as the road having the short haul.
For instance. If the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe road can haul a carload of
oranges from Les Angeles to Denver for
5000 on a short haul, the Southern Pacific
is allowed to charge the same rate, even
though the train is run through Sacra-
mento On freight shipped at Sacramento,
however, as there is no competing line,
they are allowed to charge their regular
rates. One other thing acts in favor of
lower freight rates On oranges than on
other green fruits. Oranges are not put
down as perishable goods, and, therefore,
come in lower category than peaches,
grapes, etc. While California oranges do
not bring any higher price in the Eastern
markets than Florida fruit, growers of
| other fruits in California should remember
that California peaches in the New York
markets are quoted as bringing two cents a
pound more than the Delaware article,
while California Bartlett pears are bringing
| three cents a pound more than the best
pears raised in the East
| An official connected with the general
/ freight Office of the Southern Pacific stated
to-day that the company as yet had not
outlined any policy in regard to the freight
on fruit shipments for next season. He
stated that it was impossible for the COM
pany to tell so far ahead whether its fruit
rates would be reduced next year. great
| deal depended on the amount of fruit to
be shipped. A prosperous fruit season
might result in a reduction of rates, while
light crop would bring no inducements
for a lowering of the present charges.
1.-THE statement" he added, "of contem-
plated reduction in freight rates on fruit,
| is made without any authority"