The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-15
AROUND THE CORRIDORS.

MA fruits, fresh, dried and otherwise pre-
served" said Fl. f. Burton, prominent ousl-
ness man OF San Antonio Tex, yesterday.
but 1or some reason or other the prices are SO
nigh that very few of the fruit-hungry are able
TO indulge in the luxury.
am not in the mercantile business, ne
continued, "but know something OF the ms
and outs of the produce trade When think
OF the prices that the people in my part OF the
country have to pay for California fruits and
the prices at which those fruits are sold here
py wholesale am almost appalled,. nave
inquired on the matter for my own edifcauon,
ana lind that the California wholesale price
LOT fresh fruits Of all kinds is just quadrupled
py the time 1t is delivered at retail 10 the Iexas
CONSUMER. AT the present tlme Oaniornia
oranges cost 40 per cent more in San Antonio,
Austin, Houston and Galveston than they cost
In New York. The reason for this is the freight
charges and Indifferent service OF the southern
racine Railway Company as regards the South
ern trade. Much fruit is spoiled in transit by
delay. The charges are very high, and the I'M
porters are forced to make up losses on spoiled
fruits by lacking the amounts OF such losses
on 10 The price OF the good fruits received.
Florida oranges are sold in large quantities
IN Texas and Louisiana not because the people
prefer them, but because they come cheaper
This is due to gulf navigation and railway
competition. In the matter OF dried apples,
peaches and preserved pears the case Is not SO
bad, but the products OF Missouri, Kansas,
Arkansas and other States whose products are
In no wise equal to the California goods are
sold ten to one of the California article simply
because the come cheaper The people OF
Texas as rule are fond of fruits. The hot and
arid climate seems to demand a fruit diet, and
they all want California fruits If they can get
them-and are able to pay the price"
L. H. Griffith of Seattle, who is interested in
the lumber business on the Sound, has just re-
turned from Central America where he has
been for several months. to see what could be
done in the way of opening up trade relations
Tor his own firm and several others In Wash
ington. Last evening at the Grand, in speak
ing of his trip, he said: at is surprise to me
that San Francisco does not do something to
establish closer trade relations with Central
America. You have here large part of the
things they import from other countries and
which coula be laid down from here cheaper
than from anywhere else on account OF your
position and the advantages you would have
in freight rates and time. took down cargo
of lumber and it was sold easily for much
better price than could be obtained here.
Nearly everything used there is imported and
most of it comes from Europe and the East and
could be laid down there cheaper from here.
But, OF course, you would have to take coffee
in exchange. Canned goods OF all sorts, ex-
cept fruits are used there and sold at such
high prices that there is large profit in them.
They come mostly from the East and Europe.
OF course San Francisco could lay them down
there cheaper. So 1t is with hay, potatoes and
flour, all sorts of food products, tools, beer,
wines and liquors. Some of these articles are
shipped there and sold at very high prices, but
the amount of the trade could easily be in
creased. Large quantities of beer are shipped
in there, but it all comes from Germany and the
East and is sold for much higher prices than
would be necessary to give San Francisco
brewers good profit. The profits on all goods
sent down are double, at least, what would be
expected here. Potatoes sell for So per 100
pounds, hay for $50 ton and, although these
prices give an immense profit there is always
complaint of scarcity of these articles that
can be obtained only from California"
Major A. w. Barrett of Los Angeles is dele
gate at large to the National encampment of
the G. A. R., which convenes in Louisville, KY,
next September. The major has been soiourn-
ing in San Francisco for a fortnight, and while
reading and bordering over the achievements
and purposes of the Half-million Club has be-
come convinced that brilliant stroke of en-
terprise would be an excursion TO Louisville,
and the establishment of California head
quarters in the Kentucky metropolis a few
days before the encampment opens. 1t is the
majors idea that such free scope should
be given to the impulses of California hospi-
tality that the veterans of the Blue and the
veterans of the Gray, the sons OF veterans and
the daughters of veterans and all others
whether in sympathy with the cause that was
won or the cause that was lost, should rise up
and record unanimous vote in favor of hold
ing another National encampment in San
Francisco. Major Barrett's observation-keen,
alert and wide ranging-convinces him that
the encampment here in 1886 was the greatest
advertisement California ever had and really
accomplished great good for the State. So
many pleasant memories of that celebrated en-
campment yet linger with the passing veterans
of the war that they would cheerfully under
take another journey to the Pacific Coast if
California would only hold UP her finger and
beckon to them. st. Paul and Baltimore are
bidding for the next Grand Army reunion,
with Atlanta next in line, but San Francisco
could capture the prize if the Half-million Club
should invade Louisville.
Hon. Charles Creighton, formerly Attorney
General for the Hawaiian Kingdom and later
the clerk of the Supreme Court of the nation,
has many queer stories of the peculiarities of
the native Legislature. Much confusion was
occasioned by the divorce laws" he said. "Soon
after they were passed, everybody began TO
rage for married people to separate.
"Finally, the prevalence of the divorce habit
became alarming. One of the old Hawaiian
mobiles thought something should be done. He
rose in the Legislature and declared that the
entire moral system of the nation was being
destroyed by the frequency of divorces. 1t was
deplorable, and he thought, should be dis
couraged The only proper way that he could
see was to have people sure they could be
happy together before they were joined for
ever.
"To accomplish this he introduced bill.
His bill provided that persons who intended to
marry should live together for six months. If
at the end of that time they decided their tenn
pers were not compatible the final ceremony
need not be performed and they would stay
unmarried.
'It is needless to add" Mr.. Creighton con-
Guided, after a moments reflection. shat the
bill was killed"
AL Truman, owner of the champion setter
Dick Swiveler, and John B. Martin, secretary
of the Pacific Fox Terrier Club, were looking
at the fox terriers at the dog show together
the other evening, and Truman, fwho does not
care much for those dogs, remarked that they
were wan ting in intelligence.
"Why man." said Martin, "you don't know