The herald., 1896-12-27
CITRUS GROWERS convene
Two Hundred Ranchers in Ses.
sion Yesterday
THEY SEEK PROTECTION
Against the Encroachment Of Foreign
Markets
A Delegation to Be Sent to Washington
But the Discussion of Ways and
Means Took Much Time.

About two hundred citrus fruit grow
ers from various points in Southern
California assembled at the chamber of
commerce hall yesterday morning for
the purpose of perfecting arrangements
for properly bringing before the tariff
committee of the national congress the
needs of growers of citrus fruits.
The meeting was called to order by
r. ]. Story Of Alhambra. The election
of officers ensued: George Frost Of
Riverside was made president, and w.
G. Fuller Of Cotton secretary. A COM
mittee on resolutions composed, Of one
member from each district was elected.
A motion by N. w. Blanchard of
Santa Paula, that an executive commit
tee be composed of one member from
each section where there is a citrus
fruitgrowers' association, was carried.
This committee Immediately retired for
the purpose Of drafting a set of resolu
tions. The question of sending dele
CATION to Washington to appear before
the tariff committee was then taken UP
and means for raising money to defray
the expenses Of this delegation was dis
cussed at considerable length by several
members. Mr.. Freeman of Ontario
moved that this money be raised by an
acreage assessment This proposition
was strongly opposed by a large number
of those present. on the ground that this
action would work great injustice to
growers who have large young orchards,
from which they receive no revenues.
Action upon the matter was deferred
until after the report of the committee
on resolutions should be heard.
The meeting then adjourned until
o'clock in the afternoon
On reassembling the finance question
was again taken up for discussion. Sew
eral methods for raising the money were
discussed, but it seemed impossible to
decide upon any mode of procedure.
On motion of j. l.. Hall resolution
was passed that an assessment Of $1O,-
900 be levied to raise fund to defray
the expense of sending delegation to
appear before the tariff committee at
Wahsington.
Mr.. Ruggles moved that an assess
ment of one-third of a cent per box for
all citrus fruit shipped this year be levied
to raise this amount of 10000. Another
motion was made that an assessment of
20 cents per acre on bearing orchards
and 10 cents per acre on non-bearinx
richards be ievied to raise the money.
Both motions failed to carry.
AT this point adjournment was taken
to the assembly room upstairs, where
more commodious quarters were to be
had.
The question of an assessment was
again taken up and discussed by several
members. A number Of methods of
levying an assessment were proposed,
but no action was taken and the mat
ter was laid upon the table to hear the
report of the committee on resolutions.
After several clauses in the report had
been amended it was accepted as fol-
lows:
Whereas, Under the present dutv m
citrus fruit and the Inequality In cost of
production, packing and shipping to
eastern markets between the grower In
California and the foreign citrus fruit
grower virtually rules the American
grower out Of these markets the greater
part of the year: and,
whereas, The only way we can get re-
ler is through a higher protective tariff
on foreign citrus fruits; and,
Whereas, I'm order to accomplish such
result we, the growers, must place
our situation before the ways and means
committee at once and in a proper man
ner, and furnish the financial support
for that activn; therefore, be 1t
Resolved, That competent commit
tee be sent to Washington to appear be-
fore the ways and means committee on
under which we labor and the relief we
should have;
Resolved, That the only relief possi-
BILE is an increase In the tariff sufficient
to place it upon an equality with for
eign fruit
Resolved. That the following petition
be sent to the state legislature asking
for such relief:
To the Honorable Members Of the State
Legislature Assembled at Sacra-
mento, California:
AT mass meeting of the citrus fruit
growers of Southern California held in
the assembly room of the chamber of
commerce in the city of Los Angeles
December 26, 1896. it was unanimously
resolved to petition your honorable body
to memorialize congress to amend, our
present tariff laws and increase the i'm
port duty on foreign grown citrus fruit.
In all foreign countries where citrus
fruits are grown the price of labor Is
many times less than it is here 1t costs
us for freight 45 cents per cubic foot to
put our fruit in the eastern markets.
The Mediterranean growers can place
theirs in the same markets for not more
than Is cents per box.
The difference in freight as between
foreign grown citrus fruit and our own
is 30 cents per cubic foot and not the diff
erence in the cost of production and la
Dor. Simple justice demands that we
should at least be placed on footing Of
equality with the foreign growers.
We therefore beg your honorable body
to ask congress to place an import duty
on oranges, lemcHs. lines and grape
fruit that will place us upon such an
equality.
Resolved That the following memoir
ial be submitted to all citrus growers
for signatures and forwarding to con-
gress:
The undersigned, growers of citrus
fruits in Southern California, respectful
ly petition the congress of the United
States for an increase in the tariff upon
oranges, lemons. lines and grape fruit
which may be imported into the United
States from foreign countries.
In the tariff on fruits which come in
competition with California producers