The record-union., 1896-12-05
FRUIT GROWERS STIRRED Up.
CONTINUED from Third Page


and expressed the hope that he had
come with his report to the conven-
ton.
The hour of noon having arrived
however, an adjournment was taken
until / o'clock p. m
COLONEL WEINSTOCK EXPLAINS.
Upon reconvening Colonel Weinstock
took the floor in his own defense. he
stated that he had had the advantage
of hearing the shorthand reporters
notes at the noon hour, but had founo
no complaint except that his report 70
the Secretary of the State Board OF
Horticulture had not been compre-
hensive enough. The report he hao
made was as complete and conpre-
hensive as could be made. and had
been sent to every fruit grower in the
State.
From the notes in question 1t ap-
peared that Mr.. Stephens had read a
small portion of the report submitted,
thereby leaving the impression ofiat
there was no more of it. The speaker
thereupon asked permission, and reao
the introduction to the report submitted
by him. Supplemental to the reading,
he stated that the State Fruit Growers
and Shippers Association was COM
posed of individual members, and not
of a few individuals, and that all, as
body, were responsible for its action.
Upon concluding the reading of the IN
PRODUCTION of his report the speaker
asked If it was not complete enough.
He was willing to answer any ana all
questions which might be propoundeu
to him to the best of his ability.
AS to any particular growers or
shippers having anything to do WIN
glutting the Eastern market, he sald'
it would be just as reasonable to charge
Mr.. Stephens with doing so. The Fruit
Growers and Shippers Association was
merely a clearance-house for growers,
and it was for them to say to What
points their products should be shipped.
According to his understanding, MT.
Stephens ideas was take from the
growers all light and order regarding
the condition of markets in the East,
and allow him, as of old, to ship In
discriminatory in the dark, without an
idea Of the amount of fruit at any par
ticular locality. or of the prices likely
to be secured. Stephens believed in
sweeping away order and light, leav-
ing growers to grope haphazard-to
bring chaos out Of order and darkness
out of light
Motheral of Kings County asked
Colonel Weinstock if some reduction of
freight rates could not be secured, and
if no effort had been made in that di-
rection.
Colonel Weinstock replied that ap-
plication had been made. and that the
h a1
ductions could not be granted, as Cali
fornia now had the lowest transcon-
tinental freight rates allowed anywhere
in the United States. The rates, the
company claimed, were lower than
those from Georgia, Florida and Texas,
and that to reduce freight rates meant
loss to the company.
In regard to refrigerator cars, Will
hanson of Sacramento inquired whether
it would not, at some future time, be
possible to dispose of them in fruit
shipments.
Colonel Weinstock thought it posi-
BILE that a system of ventilator cars
might be introduced with success.
Wilson of Newcastle inquired wheth-
er the reports furnished by the asso-
citation did not result in the large fruit
Shippers
ments and underselling small growers.
Colonel Weinstock wanted to know
If it were possible for any one to take
advantage of a report that was dis
tributed to all at the same time. He
further explained that the railroad
company refused to give information
as to who had shipped fruit, or to whom
1t was consigned. The company would
and did give information that car
had been shipped from a certain point
to a certain point, but absolutely re-
fused to give either the name of the
consignor or consignee. There was no
way in which the association could
gain that information except through
the shippers themselves.
FOR THE GOVERNOR.
At this point L. D. McCabe, Private
Secretary to the Governor, was intro
duced and stated that the reason Gov
ernor Budd was not present was that
i hearing of attorneys asking for the
communication OF the sentence of Mar
shall J. Miller of Colusa County from
death to life Imprisonment had been
set for o'clock. On behalf of the Gov
ernor he offered the members of the
convention hearty greeting and hoped
that they would at the present session,
as had been the case in the past, ex-
ert themselves for the interest of the
great fruit producing industry of the
State.
Then the string of questions asked
Colonel Weinstock were again fired off
with great precision, and answered
clearly and succinctly, though many of
them were foreign to the matter in
hand.
FOWLER OFFERS AN AMEND
MENT.
Fowler of Fresno took the floor and
stated that nothing could be done in
the matter Of cooperation without Or
ganiZation. The thing to do was to
organize, and then work. In view of
this he offered the fnlloNiner an