The herald., 1897-01-17
FREIGHT TARIFFS

CO. is reported to have shipped his pur-
chases of wheels and bicycle supplies,
made at Chicago, to Melbourne via the
roundabout route from New York and
London. The rates to Melbourne from
Chicago via San Francisco are double
high transportation tariff must be ex-
tremely unfavorable to Pacific coast
trade. 1t is no wonder that the trade
| Of San Francisco dwindles under such a
handicap The Valley road has freed
San Francisco in its San Joaquin busi-
| ness. We hope that the future connec-
| city in its transcontinental and Los An
geles business also. The growth and
prosperity of our sister cities will add
| to the growth and prosperity of Los
Angeles We wish them all well. The
escape from a high freight tariff or a
high shipping tariff, as by making good
out of a poor harbor, and reducing hign
port charges. or from a political tariff,
made to enrich favored or bribe giving
individuals, will all help California. High
tariff of any kind is a special injury TO
US, on account of our distance from
market and our necessarily heavy
charge for time and mileage. When
box of oranges, or to be more exact. a
cubic foot of oranges, can be brought
from Sicily, 4S0O miles. in steamer; be
there transshippedl; pay duty Of rs
cents, and be carried overland by the
eastern trunk lines to Chicago, st. Louis,
ST. Paul or Omaha, and still the entire
cost of ship, rail and politics be less than
our rail charge alone, we Californians
are handicapped. The Sicilian oranges
are hauled inland over as many miles of
railroad as ours are, but the cost is far
less The freight rates and the distribu-
ton are the : asnts to attack for the fu-
ture Of our 1rult industry. The price in
the east must be kept reasonable, other
wise the consumption will be reduced
The eastern consumption of our fruit
must increase to meet the rapidly in
creasing output of our fruit The only.
way to lower the cost of fruit in the
east and at the same time keep up liv-
ing prices to the grower here is by less
ened cost of freight and Of distribution,
and by better culture and more intelli
gent fertilizing here AS matters now
stand, the grower takes the risks and
the transportation and distribution
agencies take the profits. A political
tariff will be also taken by these parties
If it adds anything to take Such a tax
could not meet the point at issue-this
is, how to lay down fruit to the eastern
consumer at a price ensuring a large
and increasing consumption and leave
a living profit to the grower, Our rail-
road companies have long hauls through
long hauls, say to Omaha, through ricn
territory. These eastern roads have
competition from every quarter on the
coast, from Portland and even Canada,
clear to New Orleans and Galveston,
and they all have competition in their
local business as well. Our roads in Cal
ifornia, with the single exception Of the
Santa Fe at Los Angeles, are in the
Kentucky corporations control. There
are three that cross the contnent-one
from San Francisco via Ogden; one from
Los Angeles via Albuquerque, and one
from Los Angeles along the Mexican
border. These DO not compete on the
The whole situation is not far from a
stand off. Therefore, it is not unreason-
able TO say that the rate per mile for
cubic foot of oranges should be about the
same from the Atlantic or Pacific coast
to our central markets. Were this the
case, we would here have the advantage
the insurance and the transshipment at
the Atlantic port. With system of cash |
sales as good as the Italians have our
orange industry would be safe from ev-
erything except itself
The orange men and all our fruit men
are tempted and many are deceived by |
the bribe held out to them of political
tariff. By this means their attention is
diverted from the real issues. The tar
ilf agitators, as might be expected, are |
generally practical politicians or els |
very close to the Southern Pacific roa5. |
The Southern Pacific is high tariff on /
anything. The bribe is offered to our
fruit men SO that they will not inquire |
into such rank abuses as the hounties |
and blowholes Of Carnegie and his ilk. |
our people must consent to other steals |
on the promise TO get their own fingers |
into the public purse, ard still our fruis |
men are always fooled They have |
never gained By high tariff The worst
years Of the raisin men, the wine men
and the orange men IN California ware