The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-04-14
ORANGES AND THE TARIFF

OkANOES AND InE IAkifF
BY the Wilson bill the tariff OIL oranges
was reduced on an average about Il cents
box. This brought it down to the figure
that had prevailed before the Mckinley
act had raised it: that is to say the same
as under the Republican tariff of 1883.
This tariff prevailed for eight years, and
as far as California fruit was concerned
was generally reckoned satisfactory. In
deed, it was during the existence of the
tariff of 1883 that California fruit iirs t
made its way into the eastern market in
any quantity, and it was during this same
period that large profits were realized from
the orange business.
The Mckinley act, which as the most
radical tariff measure ever attempted in
the history of the country, increased
duties promiscuously all along the line, SO
as to make a showing of sincerity, while
it piled high the tariff on the special in
terests OF the party's own,friends. Among
the items of the promiscuous and general
raise, California oranges appeared, with
an advance of about IL cents box. No
body had asked for such raise, except
that several congressman had put in a
perfunctory demand for little special
legislation In favor of their constituents
interests according to the blessed custom
then prevailing. When the next general
election came off California showed its
deep appreciation of this unexpected boon
by replacing nearly all its Republican rep
resentatives with pemecrat is, and choos-
ing Democratic senator.
Under the three years of he Mckinley
bill the boktosar shsal VIE ", tHnabled out of
the orange market. ana the citrus fruit
growers of Southern California we're
brought face to face with ruin. We are
not now attempting to offer the favorite
Republican form of argument. which is to
claim that because two events happen
simultaneously one must be the cause of
the other: as they maintain the oank
currency crisis OF 1893 was due to the de-
mand of the American people for reduc-
ton of their tariff taxes. We do not pro-
pose to maintain that it was the Mckin-
ley act that demoralized the orange mar
ket in the seasons that followed the pass
age of that measure. What we do main.
tain, however, is that the IL cent; box
tariff cut very little figure in the matter
one way or the other. Ash
When the Wilson bill was under discus
sion the Democratic memb ers Of congress
from this state entered the claim that as
oranges were luxury aud as the avowed
policy of the party, was to leave the taxes
on Injuries as they were, there should be
no reduction in the tariff on this fruit.
In this contention the California congress-
men were backed up by strong influence
from florida and the Gulf states. But
from the central and middle states came
the anSw arins arsum ent that oranges
were not luxury, but an actual necessi-
ty that more than half Of this fruit s old
in the larger cities was consumed by the
poorer classes. by whom the addition OF
IL single penny to the orange would be felt :;
that during certain m onths of the year it
Was the CHIEF fruit obtanable, an that
health OF the people. Thus the tariff was
set back at aboutthe same figure that had
prevailed before the Mckinley bill.
AS matter of fact during the past
sixty days the European fruit. in boxes
one-lifth larger than ours, has sold in New
York at $l.O) to SLID per box ranging at
times to somewhat higher figures. In
Chicago these same figures have prevailed
plus fifteen or twenty cents. By the
time the Californian lands his fruit in
Chicago, its picking, packing and freight
has amounted to about all Of that, and
where is his pay for his fruit to come in?
Had the Mckinley tariff remained in
force, the situation would have been
dentically the same. The European fruit
was shipped here to find market. if it
had to be given away. The crop was I'M
usually lar &C and the New York commits
sion houses seem to have deliberately
worked to break down the market for
California fruit. A tax of IL cents more,
or for that matter, Of 30 cents more.
would have been merely straw in the
way of the whirlwind. Nothing but an
abs olutely prohibitive tariff would have
kept the foreign fruit out of the country
this year, and the most radical of tariff
takers will hardly advocate that remedy
for the trouble. fs
AS the case stands, about half the Cali
fornia crop has sold to good advantage
and of the remain Ter large percentage
will undoubtedly bring fair prices.