The record-union., 1896-12-03
THB FRUIT INDUSTRY
AND TARIFF LAWS.
Memorial to be Presented to Congress at the Coming
Session Of That Body.

should be in every household as food.
The California paintings of this precious
tree are increasing and should be en-
couraged. At present we must COM
pete not only with pure OIL but also
with cotton seed oil and other subSti-
tuteS,
In 1895 We exported q, ,1S1, lbs gallons
Of cotton seed oil. Much of this returned
to us after further treatment labeled
pure olive OIL 1t was valued for duty
much below the value of pure olive oil,
and was sold side by side with pure
olive OIL at the same price generally,
and that price was nearly five times the
price at which it was admitted. We
claim that these fabricationS are harm
full and undoubtedly do not possess the
hygienic properties found in pure olive
Oil. They should not be permitted to go
upon the market under the false label
now put upon them. They should pay a
duty sufficiently large to enable pure
oil to compete with them, and their sale
should be SO regulated that they could
not be palmed off on unsuspecting and
ignorant consumers for the genuine
article.
The principle upon which pure butter
is protected is the principle upon which
we ask protection to pure olive oil. A
striking illustration of the operation of
the law regulating the sale of butter
limitations is found in the fact that Illi-
nois manufactured in 1895 over 81 900 =
OoO pounds of oleomargarine and paid a
tax on it of over S626,0 900, while New
York State appears in the table for only
foO pounds and that imported.
AS TO RAISINS.
The reason is stronger for protecting
competition than for protecting our
selves against ourselves, as we do with
reference to butter.
Raisins should be given 212 cents per
pound, the duty of 1890. This industry
has grown 50 rapidly that raisins have
cheapened in the market far beyond ex-
pectations, and to a point affording but
little profit to the grower. The present
duty Of l12 cents per pound about covers
cost of transportation to New York and
Chicago. The foreign article comes in
with very small freight charge. Our
product should have at least one cent
per pound clearly protection, and even
this will not put our growers upon an
equal footing with the foreign producer
1t must be remembered in fixing a
schedule for foreign fruits competing
with California fruits, that our market
lies two and three thousand miles away
from our orchards and vineyards, and
unlike most other agricultural products
they are not grown generally through
out the United States
The apple, for example, finds a mar
ket near its place Of production, while
we must for our fruits seek a distant
market, or we have none at ALL Gener-
ally speaking, the cost Of transporta-
tfon on imported fruits is about thirty
cents per hundred pounds, while we
pay 81 30 per hundred pounds
THE ALMOND INDUSTRY.
The almond calls for special mention
The price realized during the past
two years has not been remunerative
and many trees have been worked
over into prunes. 1t is one Of the most
delicate of our fruits and more likely
to suffer from frost than even the or
ange. 1t blooms early and is quite ten
der in the bloom and for some time
after setting the fruit. There are many
things to discourage its planting, and
yet it is very desirable that we should
continue its production, as since we
began it's culture we have produced
many very desirable new varieties and
have cheapened the price so that the
consumer in recent years has INDUCED
this luxury to a much greater extent
than formerly.
Notwithstanding we have grown the
almond quite extensively the importa-
tions have increased. The rate of duty
does not seem to have affected the i'm
ports. In 1892, when the duty was
cents, our imports were 1929 80.
pounds. In 1895 they were nearly s.
00000 pounds. BY the Act of 1883 and
| the Act of 1890 and the Mills bin the
! rate was cents. The Wilson bill cut
it down to 3 cents, which is too low
There was less revenue to the Govern
ment in 1895 at 3 cents than formerly
at , cents. and there was less pro
lection. We ask that the duty be
| made 6 cents per pound on unshelled
and 10 cents on shelled almonds.
The Tarigona almond, largely i'm
ported from Spain, comes into competi-
ton with the Languedoc of this coun-
try, and all varieties not classed as soft
she'll
The Princess of France and a few
similar varieties come into competition
with the soft and paper shell almonds
OF this country. The Jordan almond is
n very fancy article and usually sells
for about twice as much as any almond
produced in this country Any duty on
this almond would be imperative as a
protective duty.
But a tariff of six cents on unshelled
and ten cents on shelled almonds would
enable our growers to successfully
compete with all other varieties and
make orchards remunerative that are
now operated at a loss
ENGLISH WALNUTS.
| English Wsllnuts are largely produced
IN the State. The acreage planted is
| greater than that of the almond, and II
| Is a more profitable tree where soil and
/ climate are favorable The minds OF
our legislators as To the walnut (and
the less pretentious but valuable pea
nuD have been In accord. for in the
| Acts OF 1883 and 1890, and the Mills
| bill, we find the same rates imposed
| Except that by the Act Of 1890 the rate
was properly increased on shelled wal
nuts from ) to q cents per pound). The
Wilson Act Of 1894 cut down the rate
on walnuts to cents. 1t should be re-
stored to the old rate of 3 cents on un-
| shelled and . cents on shelled.
1t takes much longer TO bring a wal