The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-04-20
FRUIT MEN WANT
A SAFE TARIFF
Major Mclaughlin and
John D. Spreckels
Aiding Them.
kilograms and Letters Sent to
Washington Urging Needs
of California.
A Great Home Indus try In Peril of
Being Injured by Foreign
Competition.

The chairman of the Republican State
Committee, Major Frank McLaugh him, as
the result of telegraphic correspondence,
had George Frost, president of the Cali
fornia citrus-growers' tariff committee,
ana Frank A. Miller of Riverside visit this
City few DAYS since Tor consultation on
the tariff bill now before the United States
Senate Finance Com mittee, and with a
view 10 assisting the fruit-growers of tn is
State in obtaining desired tariff legisla-
ton. Senator Perkins is earnestly labor
ing in their behalf, and quite a mum Der OF
kilograms have been forwarded to Wash
ington urging the importance of the pro.
posed legislation.
In telegram to Senator Morrill,, chair
man of the Senate Finance Com mittee,
Major Mclaughlin says:
The efforts being MADE in the interests OF
foreign frult-growers should not be permitted
to prevail against that great and growing in
dustry n California, in which many millions
OF dollars are involved The business inter-
ests OF this State imperatively demand no re.
duction from the House schedule on raisius,
Zante currants ana citrus fruits. The latter
requires cent per pound protection. I sp.
pc al TO you to aid Senator Perkins.
John -. Spreckels, as a member OF the
National Republican Comm ittee, teIe.
graphed to Senator Allison as follows:
1 believe you will make a mistake in ut.
tempting TO return citrus fruits 10 q m ensure
ment basis. The industry here is much de.
pressed and the request for 1 cent per pound
will not put our growers on an equality with
foreigners
Telegra ms have also been sent to senat.
ors Aldrich, Platt of Connecticut, Wolcott
and others to assist the California fruit
growers.
In a letter to Major McLauehIin the
secretary of the California Citrus-growers'
Tariff Comm ittee, Frank Virgins of Los
Angeles. says:
We are endeavoring 10 bring every pressure
to bear on the representatives in the United
States Senate toward procuring proper tariff
We are especially interested In this section
to have q tariff placed on citrus fruits of 1
cent per pound. The Ways and Means Com
mluee Oh the house recommended rate OF
We have representatives in Washington who
are working to have the amount raised to the
! cent rate, and IN opposi ZION TO AL this every
foreign dealer and importer. backed up by
many Eastern capitalists, are working 10 re-
duce the rate to its old standard, Ehich would
be equal to u of a cent per pound
They are also fighting the pound proposi.
ton; claiming that 1t is unfair.s The mere fact
of this opposition 10 sufficient to conyince a nv
think ing man II is the only proper way to i'm
pose tarin that would be beneficial to us And
prevent frauds upon the Government
The following memorandum has also
been issued:
The House OF Representatives has adopted
duty of three-fourtns of a cent per pound on
citrus fruit.
The representatives of the citrus fruit
growers now at Washington, and the Los An
geles Chamber OF Commerce are asking that
the tarln be made 1 cent per pound.
Sweden and others-where no citrus fruit is
raised-have placed higher duty on oranges
tban the American grower asks in order 10
enable MIN TO com pete with the foreign ship
per, while nearly all the countries OF Enrope
have duty on citrus fruits greater than The
Un ted States has heretofore demanded
The importers of New York. principally
Italians ana Spaniards, have organized to de-
feat the tariff. They have sent teIegrams to