The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-02-09
IN DEAD EARNEST.
ORANGE GROWERS, Tauck RAlseRs
IN CONVENTION.

4
FOrmulate-They Speak for Closer
Union, Better Methods, Lower
Freights and Better Prlces-Address-
es, Etc, Btc.
A large and enthusiastic meeting OF
The orange and truck growers OF this
| and adjoiEing counties convened in
Ocala Tuesday, to devise means f. r
obtaining better returns in The grow
ing and marketing of their products.
The court house was the place of
their meeting.
Gen. Bullock was made chairman
and Mr.. Nj. K. Gillet, secretary.
On taking the chair Gen. Bullo k
made u address full of interest 10 his
hearers. He demonstrated Ly read
ing extracts from leading democrats,
including Cleveland, that the history
of the party was for incidental prote, :
ton, that the majority of the demo-
cratic orange growers were for protec-
ton az instanced by the action of the
state legislature of 1881, also the state
convention of growers that convened
that year at the Ocala exposition
and over which the Hon. Geo. w.
Wilson presided.
He believed in q duty on oranges
but thought fifty cents box suffi-
cient, and this was the only article in
the Wilson bill TO which he took ex-
ceplion and on the ground that oran-
ges were not raw material but a fin
ished product.
He then cited an article from the
New York Trade Fruit Journal which
showed III Il the leading dealers and
fruit spectators In that city favored
restrictive measure, on the miscella-
neOus importation of all kinds of tor
eign oranges and lemons, which, be.
lug dumped on our markets, depressed
the price of first-class domestic fruit
Much of this imported fruit was of
such poor and inferior quality that
health regulations were called on to
protect the public against its unhy-
genie influences.
Such trash should be excluded.
Why not impose duty and Keep it
out. Good fruit could afford TO pay
duty, and on such quality the govern
nent would receive more revenue
than by low tax, permitting all
qualities to enter our ports to compete
and lower the price of home grown.
Something was wrong, something
must be done to equalize and give
basis of value to orange aud vegetable
products of the stale. A close union
of all parties interested must be had,
and persistent effort made towards
rightiug the wrongs and disadvanta-
ges under which these interests la
Dor.
He had invited the representatives
from the Florida Fruit Exchange, in
which he believed, to be present and
a letter was read saying delegates
would be at the meeting but they
failed TO respond.
This epitome family and imperfect
ly intimates the good talk which Gen-
eral Bullock mate. 1t was we'll re-
eeived. He said condition" con-
frOnted the orange industry of the
state, question so alarming that he
was not prepared 10 answer it, for If
ruinous prices on crop of 5,O00, 600 of
boxes confronted the producer, what
would be the condition of the industry
when the young groves planted came
to maturity and presented crop ten
times the value of the present one.
He believed in protection and was
confident duty of 81 box would be
a boon to the growers. While this
was desirable it was useless to petition
congress and ask for that amount Of
protection as the present members
were elected on different platform.
He claimed protection would ex-
clude fOreign frnit a.., ".u'3 stjnu-
late home in!,.slry Is excluding
production wouI I,avc HE whole
market to vs.. Thai American labor
at 81 day e. uli not compete with
Dago" help at thirty-seven cents a
day. He believed protection made
prosperous communities, it gave labor.
Oranges were no longer luxury but a
necessity and we'll paid laborers were
their best consumers.
MIR, Adams made a fine address
from his standpoint but suggested no
plan or method beyond protection to
aid and better the condition of the or
ange and truck growers of their
state.
Mr.. w. P. Haisley took issue with
Mr.. Adams. He said he expected
this and could tell by the applause
which greeted Mr.. Adams address
who were who" politically, IN the
house. He suspected this as a repub-
lican trick to aid in defeating the
Wilson bill in which he was a firm
believer. That the orange industry
had to take its chances with the other
Interests of the country. Outside
competition he did not fear. He had
visited Arizona, California and Mex
leo, studied the situation and telt con-
fident Florida could hold her own
against them. He had grown oranges
since 1875, never made much money
out of them because the transporta-
ton companies had got the lion S
share. He either sold on the tree or
let the fruit decay. No consigner
need apply TO him. If all acted as he
did the fruit would bring something
He believed in close organization of
the growers and giving the entire
L.