The herald., 1893-11-23

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from the Florida fruit districts. The
only apparent hope for lower freight
rates lies in the replacement of the pres
ent cumbersome system of refrigeration
with some appliance equally effective
and of less weight.
In regard to the third clause, the
committee wrote to many fruit growers
and shippers for information, and are
able to present the following table;
Peaches, boxes. Observation-Disclosures ga
xnsiilies' :, '''''''.'.'.'....'.'.'.'..... ~
Apricots, .-........-.....'.'...s... 90
n nPrlcoes, crates.'. ..---........'''....... ~
These figures are based on shipments
in refrigerator cars and represent the
average cost of all expenses incidental
to fruit shipments from the orchard to
eastern purchasers, cost and cultivation
and value OF fruit not being taken into
consideration.
After giving the above results OF it's in
vestigation, the committee then sums up
the situation ss follows:
Referring again to the first object Of
our inquiry, namely, the question of
putting California fresh fruits into
markets not now reached, there ie small
Satisfaction in the statistics which we
have presented. That in the vast re-
gion comprising the populous states of
Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island. New
York, Conneaticut, New Jersey, Penn
eylvanis, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,
West Virginia. North Csrolina-we sell
a good yearly 1870 carloads of fresh
fruits; that in another great region,
comprising Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky,
Tennessee and the southern third OF
Illinois, we sell only 1873 carloads; that
there is list OF 40 or
more towns in the east, each
OF $4,000 inhabitants and upwards to
which California fruits never go direct
these facts are interesting enough, but
they have no real value save as they
confirm the familiar statement that our
products are not fairly put into their
natural markets; that the districts in
which our fruits are offered to consum-
erB are almost insignificant when COM
pared with the wider districts where it
is wanted but to which it never goes.
These facts lead up to and point dis
tinctly to one conclusion, namely, that
the methods o., distribution currently
practiced are pitiiully inadequate and
inefficient.
The present method OF maintaining
our fresh fruits is the, dispatch of car
load lots to few central points, where
they are sold at auction for local
consumption or, possibly, for reshipment
in smaller lots to smaller contiguous
communities. No direct shipments are
made to points where the local demand
will not justify the sending of a whole
carload and it ia for this reason that
80 many large towns never get taste Of
California fruit. Since they cannot
take car load OF "a 600 pounds then we
cannot serve them at all. We are told
by experts that from a railroad stand
point this is the only practical method
OF shipment; that to dispatch single
car with say TWO or more Distinct con-
HignmeDts for two or more distinct
points lying near each other or connect
ing lines of road, is practically out of
the question. 1t would be as preaump-
tious as it would be rude to question the
expert ability OF the gentlemen from
whom our committee has made inquiry
or the sincerity OF their replies; but we
believe and claim that an utter miscon-
ception of the conditions and require
ments of 1.-The fruit traffic HES
at the foundation OF their theo-
ries. A system of shipment from
the places of production to central
points, with reshipment from these de-
pots to minor points. will 40 we'll enough
for miscellaneous imperishsble commo-
dities but in the case OF fresh fruits it
is totally insufficient. The application
of this system to California fresh fruits
and the eastern markets involves prac-
tical elimination OF all but the very
large centers from the field of consump-
ton, and so contracts the volume OF onr
sales. How this effects the producer
need not be told. When our expert
friends declare that it is not possible to
ship direct to points which cannot take
a full carload, they have in mind the
conditions and regulations which now
prevail on the railroad lines with which
we deal. And this brings us to the
point that the railroads have taken no
steps in the way of providing suitable
equipment for the California fresh fruit
traffic. Apparently. do not realize
the magnitude OF the trade nor
understand it's requirements. To
this great. special traffic the very
life of which depends upon their CO.
operation. they give only such rough
an0-tumble facilities as belong to mis-
cellaneous freighting business.
Now If the roads had for the California
fresh fruit traffic special-cars built with
compartments if they had a sufficient
number of these cars to meet all de-
mands promptly; if they had locomo-
tives in sufficient numbers to haul them
promptly and rapidly; if fruit trains
were given the same track rights allowed
to express trains-if these suggestions
were realities, does any man of sense
doubt that some things which the ex-
perts declare impracticable would be
very simply and easily done?
For example, would it not be possible
under such conditions to load six.com-
partment car at Vacaville or Ontario
with six separate lots of fruit for the six
cities of Tflin, Mansfield, Canton,
GAINESVILLE, Columbus and Springfield,
all in the state OF Ohio, and to make the
deliveries in satisfactory wayf Does
anybody doubt that it would2
salt is our Judgment that to reach new
markets some such combination OF
equipment and train service is essential
but it would be utopion to expect it to
come of its own motion. Its natural
and essential prerequisite is the creation
at this end OF the route of a shipping
system which will require and exact
such service. The great express com.
panies, not the railroads have made
the American expreaeage system with
its messengers at every train, its depot
at every railway station, and it's distrib-
uting servant in every village. AS the