The record-union., 1895-11-07
Afternoon Session.

In the afternoon the chair appointed
a committee of three to arrange for the
excursion to Folsom on Saturday, con-
sisting of A. P. Hall, George c. Roding
and J. T. Buck.
appointed William NJ. Aiken OF
Wrights, A Block of San Jose and K.
II. Hewitt of Los Angeles.
The subject of transportation and
freight rates on green and dried fruits
was then taken up, the first paper be
ing that of W. B. Gester of Newcastle,
on Expedited Ventilator Service.
Has paper was to the effect that the
ventilator car service which had been
Given last wear by the railroad COM
pany for the purpose of making five
dav quick time trip, had not been
used to greater extent by the growers
for the reason that it was not so prac-
ticabIe or safe as refrigeration beyond
Chicago, or in case of any unavoidable
delay. He thought that next year,
with a full crop of Bartlett pears, I'M
could be utilized to carry them to
Eastern points, the growers would not
realize much from it.
He summed it up by saying that the
refrigerator service was expensive, out
safe for long distances and where
a carload was made up from different
stations, and that ventilator service
was cheap and good for short distances
but not safe for long ones.
paper on Transportation" was
read bv B. n. Rowley of San Fran
cisco. He spoke of the splendid service
given by the railroad and refrigerator
car companies in 1898, but did not see
any prospect that the growers would
be able to obtain any less rates next
wear than this. Much OF ms paper
was of a statistical nature, relating to
the number Of carloads shipped and the
eXoense Of transportation, and SAID the
total shiprnent of green fruits for 1879
would reach about /, 800 carloads. In
1904 the shipments of dried fruits
reached to over 126 ,000,000 pounds, and
for the last five years amounted TO
400 600 0O0.
Freight Transportation lie cohgrat-
Mated them on following a pursuit
tbat required intelligence of the high
ST order. as we'll as other great quail
ties. He also congratulated the Chalr-
man on presiding over a body OF the
best men in the world.
He spoke of the Nicaragua Canal and
advocated the shipment of fruits 10
New York and England in steamers
having refrigerated compartments. At
Hotel
were nut in the cold-stOrage room and
kept from October till the next July or
August. and he did not know why the
f,-lit could be so shipped 10 Europe.
Three hundred years ago man named
Calvez proposed to Charles V. the cut
ting Of a canal across the lsthmus, ana
in 1851 a survey for that purpose was
made. BY this route, when the cana! IS
finished. pears which now fetch cent
- !, ~ TO 7 W
they sell for three or four cents apiece,
and ten-cent butter, where it would sell
fo,. twenty. The Argentine Republic IS
already a formidable competitor to Cal
ifornia in wheat and fruit, and Califor-
MIA is Handicapped by the distance for
/ transportation.
ID. :. Fowler said that a large amount
Of capital is being invested in SCUM
Africa for the purpose of supplying
! the London and other markets with
fresh fruit. and even those of the
United states if necessary. A man had
been in Fresno already for the purpose
of examining the soil in connection with
! that project.
Mr. Reckwith offered a resolution
! that the fruit-grOwerS of this State call
on Congress to take such action as will
| insure immediate construction of the
| Nicaragua Canal. which was referred
| 70 the Committee on Resolutions
| C. J. Berry said that he had been
! acting as United States Statistician,
| and had been in correspondence win
/ the Agricultural Department at Wash
! inrton. and it had been stated TO him
/ that California has been stubborniy
pursuing a system that must eventually
| bring it TO bankruptcy. He had found
| out why the Argentine Republic had so
! suddenly become a formidable competi-
| tor to California.
| He found that wheat can be produced
| there at cost of 81 ~ a quarter,
| which contains about eight bushels
| that is. at 2Il5 cents bushel. Can our
| california farmers compete with that?
| II is done by the importation of labor
| ers from Italy and elsewhere on the pa
! drone system. VIII they not next he
| our rivals in the production OF fruit