The record-union., 1892-10-04
DISTRIBUTING FRUIT TRAINS.
A news dispatch from Chicago, under
date of September Both. read as follows:

A news dispatch from Chicago, under
date of September Both, read as follows:
CHICAGO, Sept 3O.-An infant industry,
hardly out of its swaddling clothes. is grow
ing like Jacks beanstalk on Western roads.
II consists in pedding produce from point to
point none of which are large enough to alb
eorb carload shipments. For instance, an
terprising Italian starts from Chicago with
carload Of bananas. He may have to stop at
i've points and be hundred miles from Chi
cago before he sells his carload. He is charged
a carload rate to the furthest point and the
agreed amount for switching and trackage
room each stop. Usually this charge is So for
each stop and the privilege of delaying the
shipment for day or less The system has
spread TO fruit of all kinds, and country towns
are largely supplied In this way.
Two months ago Mr. William H. Mills,
Vice-President of the State Board of
Trade, presented to that body precisely
the idea which the Chicago italian and
others have materialized. That these peo-
pie got the thought of this scheme from
the suggestion made to the State Board of
Trade is fact borne out by the internal
evidence of the dispatch which we quote.
The illustration that is used of a hundred
miles, stopping at five points, Identifies
it with the statement made by Mr.. Mills
to the State Board, and which statement
was widely published and commented
upon here and at the East Precisely,
that illustration was used, we say, but
the conservatism of the shippers and
transporters in California prevented
them from acting upon the suggestion.
That conservatism is now shamed by
actual demonstration.
1t must be confessed that here in Cali
fornia we take new and progressive ideas
very slowly. The caution, not to say
cowardice, of our capital impels US to in
sist upon string being attached to our
invested dollars. We are suspicious of
nearly all new suggestions to give mo-
mentum to our commercial system.
We could have undertaken the demon
stration the Italian of Chicago has made
of the wisdom of the scheme laid before
the State Board of Trade. If the son of
the sunny land can come to Chicago and
distribute imported fruits from that center
through an area of hundred miles, we
of California can certainly sell the pro-
duce of our own orchards in much the
same way over an area thousands of
miles in extent
1t is not known that there was any
direct opposition to the distribution plan
at the time it was suggested to the State
Board of Trade as a solution of the green
fruit disposal question, but it is certain
that the idea did not take such root
among horticulturists and shippers as to
induce them to put forth any energy in
trying the experiment, or even to make
research as to the practicability of the
scheme from the carrier standpoint.
Some doubters were frank enough to
express the fear that the part carload lot
proposition would necessitate rate pay
ing that would be prohibitive of this
method of distribution. This doubt,
however, remained theory, since no
fruit interest appears to have attempted
to the idea in time, probably. We will
discover that it is made practical in other
products than fruit in various parts of
this country and to some extent in Eu-
rope. We will reach the wise conclusion
that it is not a necessity to continue the
distribution of fruit in distant markets in
wholesale lots alone, but that we may
vastly enlarge our markets by increasing
the points into which we may put our pro-
ducts by the part carload lot plan, thus
getting nearer to the consumer and edu-
eating in him taste for our fruits that
will become a permanent demand.
There need be no fear of over-produc-
ton in California horticulture so long as
there are unoccupied areas where our
fruits are desired and railways seeking
freights to carry them. The market for
California fruits has been scarcely more
than tapped. 1t has been demonstrated
that it is not confined to the United
States; it is positive that we are passing
by in our long shipments near areas
within which we may profitably distrib-
ute our fruit products. So long as Cali
fornia can produce fruit to the advantage
she does commerce will develop methods
adapted to that capacity for the market
ing of them, but it needs activity, exper-
iment and earnest endeavor on our part
TO hasten the development.