The record-union., 1896-02-11
RaiSinS and Dried PruneS Bring Good
Prices in the East and Abroad.
Need of Inspection in the Matter Of
Frost Bitten Oranges.
The Sultan's Safeguard Procured for
Miss Barton and Her Assistants,
Which VIII Allow Them to Visit
the Distressei Provinces of Ana
tolia and Personally Distribute Re-
lief Among the Suffering Armenians.


Fresno, Cal, proprietor of the Fresno
"Expositor'' and a prominent dried
fruit shipper of the San Joaquin Valley,
is stopping at the Auditorium Hotel.
In an interview he said:
Never before have the markets here
been so we'll cleaned up of California
products. The stores are almost empty
as far as California prunes and raisins
are concerned. Prices on raisins are ad-
vancing rapidly On California prunes
good prices are maintained, and as the
stock on the coast is about all shipped
prices must advance. Last year at this
time California was carrying about 215
carloads. This year her entire stock does
not amount to 100 carloads"
What is the reason for this short
age?"
well, about 175 carloads have been
shipped to England, Germany and
France. I find that this condition of
things is not generally appreciated by
the trade in the East. The trade. how
ever, is beginning to take hold OF prunes
as though they expected q shortage in
the supply very soon.
up to this year we have never ship
ped to France, but we expect to make
other shipments to both France and
England within few weeks. AS rule
we obtain better prices in foreign mar
kets than at home. 1t seems like carry
ing Goals to Newcastle to ship prunes
to France, but there was a shortage in
last years French crop and under the
existing tariff laws their working peo-
pie are making more money than our
working people are, and as conse-
quence are actually better able to buy
our products than we are ourselves.
There has been a great deal of COM
plant lately about the number of frost
bitten oranges coming to this mar
ket Is this Intentional on the part of
the shippers?"
THAT l really cannot say. 1t is a
fact, however, that none of the high
lands in the fruit districts have been
touched by frost. Some of the lowlands
though were nipped pretty badly. Ship
pers have been taught a lesson on this
before, and in many instances now are
just about getting the freight of their
shipments. Some sort of an inspecting
department ought to be created, and
when the oranges are bitten line ought
to be drawn as to what is fit and unfit
for shipment. The trade in the finest
grade of oranges is suffering almost as
much in consequence of the shipment
of this frozen fruit as though it was
all frozen, besides destroying the public
taste for California oranges
What is the feeling on the coast
regarding the railroad funding bill?"
1.-The sentiment of the people of Cali
fornia has changed very much in re-
gard to the funding bill. Many business
men look upon it now as a donation or
subsidy to the State to give the railroad
time to pay their debts. An extension
of say fifty years at per cent. with
rigid provisions for sinking fund
would be favorably received by coast
people. There is a growing sentiment
in favor af the railroad in California.
Mayor Sutro of San Francisco, in my
opinion has done more to bring about
this change than anybody else. He has
gone to extremes that are unreason-
able.
THE California people, as a rule, do
not understand the funding bill. If they
did I imagine they would look upon it
as a concession, inasmuch as the tax
payer upon whom the burden would fall
| lives east of the Rocky Mountains. The
benefits would all go to those living
in California. I would almost as much
expect to see Chicago by popular vote
decide that she did not want So, ,000, 900
| for another Worlds Fair as to see Cali
| fornia to decide that she did not want
this $4,000, 900. I have no kindly feel
ing for the railroad, but have a kindly
/ feeling for California, and ] do hate to
see her make SO many mistakes against
! herself
! Il find there is a different feeling on
this side of the mountains in regard to
| Mr.. Huntington, where they do not
| have to look at him through the cloud
| of local prejudice existing out there.
They look upon Mr.. Huntington on this
side as one Of the greatest developers
and railroad builders of the age
| THE principle thing, in my opinion,
! that California needs in order to de-
velop her resources is more men like
Mr.. Huntington and Mr.. Spreckels."