The herald., 1897-01-08
RAILROAD FREIGHT CHARGES.


+ To the Editor of the Los Angeles
Herald: California is comparatively
| a new state, and its soil may be consid-
cred as also in its virgin condition, yet
1t is we'll recognized fact that many OF
our orchards are falling off in the amount
OF frult. they yield as compared with a
Few years past; nor is the quality OF
the fruit SO good. either in It's keeping
qualities or in the delicacy of its acids
or flavors, on in the excellence OF It's
appearance. If we fail to keep our fruit
up to its best keeping qualities. and
with its recognized standard Of beauty
ana delicacy, we may lose our trade,
and In this case nSc railroads of South
erE California would lose their most
important customer.
Then the interests of the fruit grower
and railroad are parallel. The object OF
this paper is not TO ask reduction OF
feight charges, though the writer recog-
nizes these charges to be excessive.
Suppose there are 100000 acres in CAL
ifornia planted in fruit trees, table and
raisin grapes; of this acreage, let us
say 10000 are in orange trees. and let
our remarks pertain especially to this
tree.
The orange tree, after bearing five
years, requires to be fed, fertilized and
kept in good heart" and If not so fer
tilized 1T Will fail to yield its best re-
suits. Just as sure as a Jersey COW will
fail to do her best if not fed a balanced
ration.
Take our orchards as they now stand.
Some yield so boxes OF oranges per
acre, some a hundred and some two
hundred or more. just according as they
are fed and watered.
Then there must be an average yield;
what is it?
Suppose this average to be $50 boxes
per acre. as determined by the railroad
and the horticultural society of this
state. If that is the yield now. they
must in the near future begin to yield
less. unless we change present condi-
tions. For the producer this would be
bad, but for the railroads doubly so,
because they get three fourths of the
milk of the cocoanut. and sometimes
all of it; the railroad never takes
chances, the producer often does.
Having determined the average yield,
| would like to ask your attention To
that part of political economy that says:
"A state is rich just according as its
soil is productive
| think no reasonable person would
doubt that if the soil is brought to a
maximum of fertility and kept SO. its
present yield will advance rapidly and
greatly. l wish to ask you to consider
this proposition:
Let the railroad charge any grower
for the average yield (say $50 boxes per
acre. its present freight rates. This
will give the railroad all the money
they receive under the present cirucm-
stances. On all boxes over said average
to charge regular freight rates, but only
one-half thereof TO go into the railroad
Golfers; the other half. called producers
fertilizing fund, to be retained as such
by the railroad to be used for the mutual
benefit of the railroad and producer, as
follows: Let the railroad appoint an
agent (or agricultural professor) to in
vest as much of the producers fertiliz-
ing fund as may be necessary, consider
ing the necessity of his soil, in the best
fertilizing material for said producer,
and when tins is all paid for out of said
fund. then the balance, If any, to be
paid to said producer
The writer thinks that this idea lex
tended and ampliiied, perhaps.) applied
to all crops in the United States would
greatly enrich the state and the rail-
road and keep the soil of the careful
producer in good shape: whereas our
present system is banl1rupting the pro-
ducer rapidly and viii ultimately i'm
poverish the railroad, though more
slowly.
Prosperity in this country today is
in d compartive degree, a question of
potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen,
IHtSE GltDleIlS Aoil ttle htS " tiiC
capacity of the soil to produce abund-
antly and to perfection. Eliminate
these elements and the country is pros
trate. Harness them and the railroad
transportation question together with
honest mutually, and there is scarcely
a limit to the products of this country,
nor TO the perfection of those products
with sunshine and irrigation water
granted). But | think, unless judiciouS
lI- cd ic a slow the
country, producer and railroad.
Why cannot the intelligent producer
and the railroad recognize their mu-
tual dependence and the necessity of
a balanced ration TO the tree as we'll
as to the COW. Do not our present meth
DDS impoverish both the railroad and
the producer? And are they not con-
trary to every principle of personal
wealth and of political economy, as per-
tains to agriculture and horticulture?
How does it mend the matter if the
railroad and its branches extend to the
door of every house in the state, if the
tree is precariously fed?
The foregoing idea, with little extra
diligence on the part of the railroad,
will greatly enhance the income thereof,
will render that income annual and per-
manent, and will leave and keep the
soil rich and thus benefit the producer
also.
When the lands of the northwest were
new and produced 40 bushels of wheat
per acre (and this the most perfect
grain in the world), the farmer and
railroad both made money. Now the
same crop is only about one-fourth, and
the freight charges have CORES sponGing-
ly diminished. In California the freight
charges on land in fruit is at present
from 500 to $500 or more per acre per
annum. accordingly as the lands yield
moderately or well. This maximum fig
ure' could be maintained with good bust
ness management. Shall this manage
ment be had without legislation, or with
It?
When it is said that the land in Cali
fornia planted in fruit pays the railroad
lrom 500 to $500 per acre per arnum
this does not state the whole case. for
upon this land the producer has eX-
pended his labor and what fertilizers
he could precariou:ly obtain, but there
is in each carload Of fruit distracted
from the soil, according to well estab-
lished tables. money value in potash.
phosphoric acid and nitrogen. Can't the
railroad meet N producer III these
items? ] think it can in all fairness
to its own financial benefit and eleva-
ton. and to the elevation of the pro-
Queer and enrichment of the state and
ia ton. a. 5. CHAPMAN.
San Gabriel, Jan. g.
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NYE: AND HERMANN