The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-07
ORANGES AND THE TARIFF.
Florida Grove Owners in Convention
at 0Cala.

Tariff of so Cents a Box Would
Afford Sufficient Protection - Mr..
Haisley Fears a Republican Scheme
Back of the Convention.
COcala. Fla, Feb. 6.-The orange grow
ers put in four solid hours this
afternoon in convention. The court
house was comfortably filed. Gen.
Bullock presided and NJ. E. Giuet was
secretary. The prominent growers present
from outside of Marion county were, Gen.
Tilson, Ma Rocks and William Bennell
of Lake county; Maj Magruder of Rock
ledge, NJ. D. Eiland of Dade City, Dudley
w Adams Of Orange and James Hayden
Of Providence, R. !. Quite a delegation
was up from Citrus, and Marion was
largely represented by its most intelligent
and successful growers. Brains rather
than numbers held sway.
Gen. Bullock, on assuming the chair,
proceeded to show that incidental pro-
lection was a cardinal principle of the
Democratic party, and as such, he, as a
democrat, did not oppose a duty, but
favored it on fruit. He thought the ma
jority of democratic orange growers
favored protection on oranges, as evil
u6lCCu pN inc dtLlOu u buG L 4OElud ltRlS-
lature in 1891, asking congress to put 81
box on them. He spoke of the convention
OF orange growers, which assembled at
the Ocala exposition, endorsing a tariff
for protection on oranges. If so
vital question four years ago with dire
prospects ahead for the industry, was ID
not much more needed nowl He thought
duty of 80 cents box would afford pro-
lection. He is a firm believer in the pres
ent Wilson bill, except in this one partic-
ular, as oranges were not raw commod
ity, but finished product. He said he
did not object to the best OF imported
fruit coming to this country, but did pro-
test against the now Objectionable i'm
ported fruit coming into competition with
ours, and causing it to be sold at depre-
ciated prices and at a loss to the growers
AN INFANT INDUSTRY.
Then, too orange growing was a new
industry; it had much to contend against,
and hence should be fostered He spoke
of the leading importers and fruit specu-
lators of New York demanding police reg
ulations over the iuiiscriminate bringing
in of all kinds of foreign fruit trash If
they saw and felt its evils, then let the
tariff regulate or exclude it. He believed
by excluding the poor fruit that on good
imported fruit the government would get
much more duty and aid worthy domes-
tic industry and benefit the consumer.
He was convinced that close
and consistent organization of the
growers was the only thing
that would assist the cause He had ex-
pected more persons present, especially
representatives of the Flor
ida Fruit Exchange, in which
he believed, but letter received
just then assured the gathering that that
body was in full sympathy with the in
tent and spirit of the meeting. He said
that Messrs. Bielby and Morrison had
been requested to be present but they
did not show up. Gen. Bullock spoke
nearly two hours and deeply interested
his hearers, rea ting extracts which sus.
tanned position on the question Of
market.rg the orange and lemon crops Of
Floriua.
MR.. ADAMS READS A PAPER.
He then introduced Dudley w. Adams,
of Orange county, known 20 every orange
grower in Florida. He read from manu-
script well-prepared address, full Of
good points as viewed by one who has
far reaching and implicit confidence in
the virtues Of proteC ion He said CON
dltion confronted the industry in Florida.
1t was the unprecedented crop of 1898,
and its enhancement ten times over in the
maturity OF the young trees now planted.
The question was too alarming
for him to answer While no
one thing was the cause
this condition. he believes that most
growers expected good results from a
tariff, and one trouble was some were for
revenue and some for prohibitive
duty. He did not believe in the former
To illustrate that high duty would not
make fruit that much more expensive to
the consumer, he instanced the
tariff on wire nails and steel
rails. Protection would stimulate
M HON s,s.FfF 4sv,
regulate the price Of the fruit BY ex-
GLIDING the foreign fruit it would leave
us the entire market, and no underpaid
Daco labor to regulate or reduce the
wages of American workmen. The con-
dition of the labOring men enabled them
to buy and eat fruit. 1t had been lux
ury, now it become sa necessity of healthy
diet He instanced protection on salt
and what it had done for American labor.
He did not believe special duty could be
had on oranges if other products did not
get their share. for Florida had only few
mem bers against 400 The only way was
protection for all. He said the present
con ress had made good the issue on
which they were elected.
REPUBLICAN SCHEME FEARED.
w. p. Haisley then took the floor and
made things lively. He repudiated pro-
te, ton, and said the question should
ACNCA nave bCCl DIOuBLJ up, because no
two men of opposite politics could agree.
By the applause that greeted Mr.. Adams
he could tell who in the audience were
democrats and who were republicans
He believed in the Wilson bill, and we
could afford and should be willing to
su1er for principle and the benefit of
all. He imagined he saw something
underneath this tariff talk The
republicans were up to something,
for being smarter than the democrats S,
wires were being laid tie throw obstacles
in the way of the passage of the Wi son
bill He belle es in organization, close
and undil ided, so that il would practic-
ally control the crop in the state and lis
transportation. He believes in gilin all
the fruit to that line of transportation
which would make the best through
rates. He believed if this was done in
side of three years a box of oranges
would be sent to New York for % cents,
all it was worth TO carry it. He
said Florida had nothing to
fear from competition from California and
Mexico. He had been there, in ,estigated
the subject ana knew what he was talk
ing about. He believed and practiced this
theory. He had grown oranges since 1878.
If he could not sell at his price in the
grove he let them rot. True, he had not
made any money, but no one fattened 0 I
Of his property. If all did this the orange
Industry would not now anguish