The record-union., 1894-11-12
VALUE OF LAND, FENCES AND BUILDINGS OF
ohhIAiN FRUIT AND WINE PRODUCING
COUNTIES OF CALIFORNIA IN 1870 AMI

Ventura............... 2, 134, 959 13,1lS,520
In no other section of the country has
there been such rapid development of
wealth IN agriculture and in affiliated in
uustrles. 1t is the marvel OF the age. And
thls development of wealth has
been due almost entirely 10 Ethe fact
That the agricultural resources of
California have been brought into
direct communication with Eastern
markets through the speedy and cheap
transportation of her products afforded
Dy the various transcoDtinenta tai railroads.
say this on the evidence Of the best in
formation at my command, furnished by
the commercial statistics Of the Govern
ment. The case stands thus:
Value OF the fruit and wine product OF Cali
fornia IN 1898:
Erut .S27 $50, 78z
WINE and brandy, about. 100000
Total.......... ..................... .6S9,1S7
The exports of fruit and wine from
California to foreign countries during the
year ended June 30, 1898, amounted to
p, 3O9. ISL, showing that less than per
cent. OF the shipments of the fruit and
Wine from California were exported TO
foreign countries, and that over 80 per
cent. went overland by rail or was con-
sumed on the Pacific Coast. But recently
see that large exports OF California fruit
to Europe have taken place from the port
OF New York, such fruit having been
brought across the continent IN train
loads by the transcontinentaI railroads.
And now let us recapItulate. Accord
ing to the United States census figures,
taken carefully and impartially, Cali
fornia exhibited during the ten years
from 1880 to 1890, q phenomenal growth
in population, in wealth, in manufac
lures and in agriculture, such increase
being, in each particular, very much III
excess OF the corresponding increase for
the entire United States. The data at
hand also convinces me that California
has fully maintained her relative rate of
progress during the four years which
have elapsed since the census OF 1890 was
taken.
FRUIT AND WINE.
And now 1 come somewhat to detail in
considering the development of the re-
sources of California. he distinguished
citizen OF California, to whom l have re-
ferred, was very earnest In the attempt
to inculcate the idea that the Embarrassing
industry Of California is being greatly
depressed, and in some particular in
stances absolutely repressed by the eX
tortionate charges imposed by the rail-
roads for the transportation of fruit to
the States east of the Rocky Mountain
range. This struck me as being incred-
IDLE, and l said to him, why that is
very strange. | can go few steps from
this hotel where we are stopping and pur-
chase all sorts of California fruit, in the
natural state, dried and preserved. That
can be done In almost every town and
village in the country. And you can
likewise purchase California wines and
brandy at almost every grocery in the
country. Such was not the case ten or
fifteen years ago, and the fact indicates to
Inc an enormous development Of COM
merce during that period"
But this whole matter seems to be en-
tirely disposed of i'll the following data in
regard 10 shipments and freight charges,
kindly furnished TO me, at my request,
by the officers of the Southern Pacific
Company, and in this connection l will
say that in making this request l dis
tinctly stated that | desired to use the in
formation III public utterance.
The growth Of the transcontinental
fruit traffic. according to the authority
just cited, has been as follows:
SHIPMENT OF FRUIT EAST BY RAIL FROM
CALIFORNIA TERMINALS, IN POUNDS.
Year. Green Fruit. Dried Fruit. Raisins
1883 1883 sssgS 8os7 NGn9 aa5 N99e
1o93~149, 04C, 4S0 76,4o2,?4o 67,266,72O
The reductions made from time to time
in the rail rates on the fruit and wine
products OF California are indicated by
the following table, giving rates between
California points and Chicago for the
years 1873, 1888 and 1894:
RATES PER 100 POUNDS.
Green Fruits
Oranges,
Years. Lemons, etc. Dried Fruit. Wine.
1S13......... So so So 20 So 90
1 13s$...... I 90 90 90 ! 90 90
These rates for 1894 are lower than the
corresponding rates for such traffic i'll
any other country on the globe.
According to my best information the
value of property employed ia the wine
industry of California now amounts TO
about 500, 200, 900, and the value OF fruit
lands, buildings and machinery en-
ployed in trult-packlDg amounts to about
S349 10000
The lew large dealers in the dried and
preserved fruits of California whom L
have consulted upon this subject speak in
the highest terms OF such fruit; also OF
California wines. One OF these dealers,
an Italian, who has been engaged in the
fruit business all his life, says to me,
California fruit is the finest fruit in the
world" These men seem also 10 regard
the freight charges on California products
as entirely reasonable.
Besides, L may here mention the fact
that the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, with its doors wide open To the re-
ceptlon OF complaints, i'll their last an
nual report declared that during the
previous year they We're called upon TO
pass formal judgment on only sixteen
cases OF unjust discrimination In inter-
state traffic in the entire United States,
and found not a single case of exorbitant
interstate rates in the whole country, not
even in California. This seems to refute
the statements circulated as TO e Xorbitant
transcontinental rail rates.
SAN FRANCISCO.
l observe from the data before me that
the City of San Francisco has not pros
pered quite III proportion with the State
at large and that this has given rise To
serious complaints and IoreDodings.
This | think is unwise and not justified
by the facts in the case. The Increased
prosperity OF the State has been target Y
que 10 commerce which in the nature
or things moves directly East by rail. But
/ am confident that in the course OF two
or three years resultant commerce will
spring up between San francisco and all
parts vi the State. The commercial forces
OF that city, whose real and personal
wealth amounts to nearly five hundred
million dollars, controlled by men OF
great commercial knowledge and acumeG,
must continue 10 control the commerce
of the Pacific slope, as surely as New
\ ork viii continue 10 be the com mercial
and financial center OF the eastern side OF
the continent in spite OF ali opposing IN
1iuences. All that is needed in san
Francisco is REIMBURSEMENT of CONNER
ciaI methods To new commercial condi-
tons. l cannot believe that the mer-
chants and other Intelligent business
men Of San Francisco are going TO lie
supinely on their backs and give them
selves up TO thoughts inspired by the
new political doctrine OF discomfort.
JOSEPH NIMMo, JR.
Washington, d. O., October 10, 1894.