The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-23
THE FRUIT-PKEsERvE QUESTION.

A recent article in THE CALL on the sub
jeet of fruit-preserves has led to pretty
general discussion, which has net in every
case been based on correct information.
Thus, contemporary has been assured that
consumers in this city buy English preserves
in preference to the home article; that the
former are cheaper than the latter. because
sugar is dearer in the United States than in
Great Britain; that preserves are put up in
California in tin cans, and that but for the
duty OF 50 per cent the English would drive
our product ont of the market These as
sertions are interesting, but they all have
the drawback Of being airy flights of fancy.
California consumers do not buy English
preserves to any great extent; they are not
cheaper than homemade preserves, but
dearer; preserves in this State are not put
up in tin cans. but in glass jars, and, finally,
the duty cuts no figure in the case.
Persons of means who can afford Injuries
consume considerable quantities of pr E.
serves which are not home made, though
they are dearer than the latter, simply be-
cause they believe they are better goods.
But they do not consume any considerable
quantity of Crosse & BiackwelPs preserves,
or any other English preserves. They buy
the goods which are put ND by Gordon Dill
worth of New YORK, and other houses in
Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Chi
cagO. These makers pay the same price for
their sugar that Californians do, and more
for their fruit, for much of this they get
from this State; accordingly they charge
more for their preserves. But their goods
sell better than our goods, for the simple
reason that il is a new industry here, and
they are Put up with more care and skill
and judgment in the selection of fruit than
our Gamers nave thus far thought it worth
while to beSt0w.
When The CALL urged the Gamers of
California to devote some attention to the
development Of the preserve industry it did
not have in view the limited market which
this Coast offers for an article of luxury.
1t had in contemplation the great markets
of the world. There is not a seaport on the
Atlantic or the Pacific, or the Mediterranean
or the Baltic, or the Indian Ocean which is
not a consumer of high grade fruit pre-
serves. On every hotel breakfast table from
ST. Petersburg to Alexandria and from
Alexandria to Singapore jar of preserves
figures. In nine cases out Of ten those pre-
serves are made in England, and mainly at
Liverpool, which produces neither fruit nor
sugar. At MarseilleS, Toulouse, Barcelona,
Granada, Malaga and Gibraltar the traveller
feasts on Mediterranean fruits preserved on
the banks Of the MeTsey. At Rome, Naples,
Venice, Athens, Constantnople, Alexan-
dria and Cairo a breakfast or lunch is
nothing without a jar of Leyantue fruit
preserves bearing an English brand. The
same brand meets the eye on tables spread
at the Cape Of Coed Hope, Hong-KOng
Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland. Alto
gether millions # jars Of English preserves
fad a ready market every year at these
ports. What we observed was the anomaly
that this great business should be suffered
to remain ID the hands Of a nati0n which
has TO import its raw material, without
single effort on the part of California to dis
pute its monopoly.
That Gordon Dilworjh or Crosse & Black
we'll or the exceedingly skillful German pre-
serYe-makeTs should make an article that
our rich people insist on having it is mat
ter Of no sort of consequence. 1t is not
worth djsDuting over; the game is not worth
the candle. The really important objective
point in the case is the great foreign demand
for a class of goods which we ought to be
able to supply cheaper and better than
Great Britain, and which 10 fact we do not
try TO supply at all.
We have every requisite for producing
preserves with one exception. That is suit
able sand for the manufacture Of fine glass
Up to the present time no such sand has
been found in the State. 1t does not follow
that it does not exist. Mr.. uobson of the
State Mining Bureau states that he found
such a sand near Lincoln in Placer County,
and the last report Of the Bureau contains a
letter from a Mr.. R0Senbaum who claims to
have made a similar discovery at a spot
which he does not designate. 1t is quite
likely that before long one Of these or other
finds will be verified. II not proper repre-
senuatiOn by our delegation in Congress should
induce the Treasury Department TO revoke
the ruling which forbids the importation Of
sand ballast except on payment OF duty.