The record-union., 1898-11-30

handled and that the defensive powers
of such craft should be greatly in
creased, so that they would be better
able to care for themselves in emer
gencies.
M SHIPPING GREEN ORANGES.
Pasadena Star: The damage to the
fruit industry of Southern California
by the shipping of green oranges cam
not be over stated; and judging from
reports the same mistake Is liable to
be made this year that crippled the
business seriously a year ago. The
following on the subject is from the
Ontario Record"
There is every indication that the
fruit growers and shippers of Southern
California will again be foolish enough
to begin shipping their oranges before
they are even half ripe. The immediate
gain will again prove more seductive
than the ultimate evil which is sure
to result from these early shipments.
This paper has before inveighed
against this pernicious custom, as have.
many other Southern California pa
pers The fruit men. too, have seen
the due results of the shipment of un-
ripe fruit but in vain. The practice
still continues and it will probably
never be stopped until the oranges of
California have received such black
eye in the markets of the East that it
is impossible to sell them at any fig
ure.
1t is an undisputed fact that the av-
erage man who buys an orange in the
East and sees it marked California
will not consider the season of the
year at which he buys it, but If it
is sour at Christmas he jumps at the
conclusion that California oranges are
always sour and later in the season
he buys oranges from some other place
than California Thus the shipment
of the green fruit affects the market
during all the balance of the season
and California oranges are judged by
the sour things that are shipped for
the Christmas trade.
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
visalia Delta: Now that there is
prospect of the reorganization of the
national guard soon, let it be done in
business way. To begin with there
should be a physical examination be-
fore enlistment and before officers are
commissioned or nom commissioned
officers are given their warrants, they
ton, to pass which will be proof Of their
fitness In the matter Of selecting nom
commissioned officers it is doubtful If
any company in any State required a
more severe examination than did Com
pany E of the Sixth Infantry, located in
this city The fact that this company
furnished five commissioned and TWEEN
ty-one non-commissioned officers to
the volunteer army and one non-com- !
missioned officer to the navy in the war
with Spain is proof of the wisdom of
such thoroughness. Tt would be we'll
also to have more officers of the regu-
lar army, retired or detached for the
purpose, occupying important positions
In the national guard. In addition to
all this, when the regiments are COM
posed of good soldiers they should be
equipped as soldiers, and be ready to
do soldiers duty whenever called on.
The idea that man can be turned into
an effective soldier In few days and
that any man of ordinary intelligence
into competent commander without
experience has been dissipated by our
war with Spain The nearer the ma
tional guard can be made like the regu-
lar army the better. 1t must naturally
fall short of the regular army's effect
iveness, but that splendid arm of the
national defense. weak as it is numer-
ically, affords an excellent example to
be followed.it Let the reorganization be
a remodeling, ft5m top to bottom.