The herald., 1898-05-08
WANT BANANAS TAXED
FRUIT SHIPPERS TRYING TO
BRING THIS ABOUT
MILLIONS OF EXTRA REVENUE
Would Mean an Estimated Additional
Annual Income Of Five Million
Dollars to the Country

A meeting Of the various members OF the
fruit shipping trade of Southern Califor'
MIA was held yesterday afternoon In the
Stimson block to discuss the position Cal
ifornia should take in the proposed levy
Of q war tax upon bananas.
That the free importation Of bananas,
which aggregate annually 10000, 900 bunch
es, acts as fearfully depressing influence
In the sale of American-grown fruits is
fact generally recognized by fruit grow
ers. shippers and fruit handlers all over
the country. Since the proposed war reve-
nue. bill has been pending in congress
movement has been begun by the fruit or
ganizations to point out to the national
legislators this enormous volume OF for
eign-grown fruit that Is annually imported
into the country free of duty as very
commendable line Of goods to bear the in
creased burdens that are to be levied upon
many other commodities.
The meeting held yesterday was attend
cd by fruit growers and shippers from va
rious parts Of Southern California. 1t was
decided, In view of the enormous fruit In
terests in this state, that bananas should
certainly bear some Of the governmental
burdens. The agitation In this direction
has been progressing in the southern. the
interior and the Atlantic coast states,
which are Interested in the growth Of small
fruits. A committee was appointed to Sc
cure the cooperation of California's rep
resentatives in congress, in connection
with the representatives of other states,
to bring about this point The committee
selected consisted of A. r. Sprague of the
Deciduous Fruit exchanges, ]. c. Chase OF
the Earl Fruit company, r. A. Tucker OF
New York city, temporarily at Riverside,
and Marshall v. Hartranft, secretary OF
the Fruit Growers and Shippers associa
ton.
During the past five years 20 0,554 ,10O
punches of foreign bananas have been i'm
ported into the city of New York alone.
Besides New York, the ports Of Boston,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Mobile, Newt Or
leans, Galveston and San Francisco have
imported corresponding amounts. making
grand total running up into the hundreds
Of millions Of punches of foreign-grown
bananas sent into the United States free
Of an import duty.
Fruit shippers claim that the low price
of bananas causes people to eat them in
greater quantities than they otherwise
would, to the detriment and exclusion of
fruits grown In this country, whose sale is
said to suffer thereby. They will. therefore.
propose to the government that 1t make a
uniform tax levy Of 25 cents on each bunch
of bananas that comes into this country's
ports. This would give the United States
an annual income from this source along
of $5,000.000. This measure, If 1t becomes
law. would tend to keep out. shippers say,
the immature and understood punches that
are now being sent in. and 1t would give
this country the best bananas grown.
The local work in this behalf will be
carried on by Major Klokke of the cham
Der Of commerce, and in New York by E.
Ruhlmann. Another meeting will be held
next Saturday, when working committee
will be appointed.