The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-10
The Santa Fe'S Package SyS-
tem-A New Method With
Much Merit.
MONEY SAVED TO THE GROWER.
Light and Durable Packages to Re-
place Heavy Boxes-Rates OF
Refrigeration.

y
OF the East cannot be maintained without
special effort. 1t will not do to rely alone
on the superior excellence of orchard
products. The transportation companies
and the growers have a common cause at
stake in holding this market, and each
class should make concessions to render
the business profitable. The larger devel-
opment of California in wealth and popu-
lation is SO closely connected with the
fruit industry that the entire common
wealth has deep interest in the subject.
The growing of berries, vegetables and
garden truck" so to speak, is engaging
the attention of many farmers in the South
and Southwest. The business has become
so profitable by reason of cheap transpor-
tation and rapid service between the farms
south'of the Ohio River and the great cities
of the lakes and seaboard that the growers
are preparing to cultivate orchards and
enter the fruit-shipping business in COM
petition with California. Our growers
must meet this competition, aud 1T is
clearly the duty and the interests OF the
transportation companies to do all that
can be done to enable them to meet 1t sue
cessfully.
1t may be necessary to spend some
money In experiments, to test new 1nven-
tions and study improved methods OF
packing, ventilation and refrigeration.
Above and beyond everything else rates
should be reduced and speed increased.
The fruit-growers of this State, in the
convention held at Sacramento last No
vember, went over the ground thoroughly.
In the address of the committee Of that
convention to the officers of the Southern
Pacific Railroad reasons were presented
justifying request for concessions. 1t is
true that the Southern Pacific has con-
ceded something; but does the concession
equal the emergency? The growers sub
mitted their views in this language:
Gas far back as 1887, when a reduction
in transportation rates was asked for, the
fruit-growers were informed that the rate
then prevailing was the lowest possible
rate that could be established for the vol
ume of business then handled, and that
no reduction of rates could be hoped for
until the volume of business had largely
increased; in other words, that the only
way for the grower to obtain lower rates
was to increase his tonnage. Since
then the green-fruit shipments have in
creased from 80, $40, coo pounds to 161 $780,
600 pounds, an increase of nearly five
fold, and yet there has been no reduction
of rates This, in the face of the acknowl-
edgment on the part of your officials that
it is a principle in railroading to reduce
rates until certain minimum is reached
in proportion as there is an increase in
the volume of business"
The growers acknowledged their appre
citation of the assurance that fve-day
ventilated car service between Sacramento
and Chicago would be established for the
season of 1895, but pointed out the fact
that there were certain districts in Cali
fornia, such as the San Joaquin Valley,
which cannot profitably use ventilated
cars at any price, for the reason that their
fruits must necessarily pass through this
great valley at the most heated period,
thus seriously affecting the contents of the
ventilated cars before they leave the State.
The growers therefore feel justified in
first asking for a reduction in refrigerator
charges, and in the second place request
ing reduced rate on ventilated cars with
eight-day service from Sacramento to
Chicago. The transportation companies
were not asked to carry fresh fruit at cost,
yet the growers commended that if the rail-
road companies could afford to carry
100000 pounds of fruit in 1886 on the
basis of q 81 25 rate it certainly can afford to
carry 100, LOOK, 900 pounds at reasonably
lower rate.
In summing up the growers ask: Five
day ventilated car service; reduction on
refrigerator charges of at least $50 per car;
a 81 rate to Chicago on ventilated cars for
eight-day service; that carload lots for
Eastern shipment be hauled to points on
the main line on a basis of through rates
instead of local rates; that ten tons be
made the minimum amount of cherries to
be loaded in refrigerator cars, and, finally,
that mixed cars of dried and canned fruit
and nuts be accepted, each variety paying
one rate instead of the highest rated article
establishing the rate for the entire car.
1t is gratifying to note that something
will be conceded to the growers, but the
main concession does not come from the
Southern Pacific, but from companies
owning or controlling the refrigerators
These companies are: The Armour line,
known as the Fruit-growers' Express; the
California Fruit Transportation Company;
the Goodell Refrigerator, controlled by the
Chicago and Northwestern Railroad; the
California Fruit Express, using Armour
cars, and the Santa Fe Fruit and Refriger-
ator line. The refrigerator charges will
be settled in few days, and very likely on
The basis of 500 from California to Chicago.
The Southern Pacific Company stands
out alone in discouraging, as far as posi-
BILE, the use of refrigerators. The cost of
hauling heavy cars and large quantities OF
ice over the mountains is the reason given
for the opposition. The managers OF the
corporation have decided to go back to first
experiments in fruit shipments from Call
fornla East, and run ventilated cars from
sacramento TO chicago on SCneuule OF
12O hours, charging ST. % per 100 pounds:
With this purpose in view zoo standard
ventilated cars have been ordered. 1t is
contended that the fruit business was es-
tablished in cars of this pattern. The cars,
weighing each $4,000 pounds, carried 4oO d
pounds of fruit. Now the heavy refrlg
erator-car with ice weighs "a 600 pounds,
and the quantity of fruit carried in the car
does not exceed $4,000 pounds.
The schedule of 100 hours to Chicago
will apply as the 81 25 rate to ventilated
cars only, the company supplying the cars.
Inc refrlgerators as rule Will run on reg
ular freight trains and only on passenger
trains when passenger rates are paid. In
handling refrigerators speed IS not consld-
cred necessary. In ventilated cars the
fruit must be kept moving. Ii the car is
kept in constant motion with the ventlla-
tors open the fruit will reach Its destlna-
ton in good condition and stand up better
on the sidewalk than fruit chilled by re-
frigeration. That is the view OF the case
presented in the freight department OF the
Southern Pacific. As to rate, the ofhcers
OF the company assert that 1T cannot be
made lower than 81 25 on a service OF 12O
hours. The raisin rate of 81 is pronounced
TO be bedrock" Any further reduction
would be below the actual cost OF hauling
the raislrs to market
ha tnl,,. nd