The San Francisco call., 1899-06-18
REFRIGERATOR
LINE TO BE PUT
ON BY GROWERS
Owners Of Orchards Decide i'm
Favor Of Stephens
Scheme.

offer, that it would end in the associa-
ton s disruption.
Many growers spoke on both sides o+
the question and spirited and heated
debate followed. AT times the debate bOr
dered on acrimony
Fountain of Newcastle contended that
it was only the small shippers who Were
interested in growers car line; that
these hoped by using the money of the
association in obtaining cars for their
Earl and Porter He referred to Chalr-
man Stephens as one of these small ship
pers and declared that the interest of the
interest of the shipper no matter whether
that shipper were large or small.
Stephens retorted by calling attention TO
the fact that Fountain as a member of
the executive committee had attended all
of its meetings, and had sat silently by
while the committee was advocating
subscribing for stock, and he further
stated that Fountain himself, at the first
Newcastle meeting had signed the agree
ment calling for a refrigerator car line.
and had pledged himself to take shares in
the same: and a t a subsequent meeting in
Newcastle when it was found necessary
to modify the agreement in d few minor
details, Fountain had again affixed his
signature. He characterized his action in
now opposing the plan as peculiar and
unaccOuntable.
Fountain answered by stating he was
opposed to a refrigerator car line from
the beginning and that the agreement
which he had signed was the effect Of a
compromise in the executive committee
after a wrangle of several days and
nights He said that he had not opposed
the plan at the meetings held throughout
the State. as he did not want to do any
thing to injure the general plan of or
ganiZation.
After a considerable flow of eloQuenCe
and much heated argument motion was
made to adopt the minority report. The
vote on this motion was II for to %
against. The Newcastle growers, who
had subscribed for SIT 800 out of s25 900
worth of stock taken, voted in favor of
was announced a motion was at once
made to adopt the majority report. which
calls for a refrigerator car line, to be
owned and controlled by the growers.
This motion was carried by vote of
% to is.
While there is no doubt that some Of
those who favored the minority report
will withdraw from the organization the
number will. be very few and the cOnsen-
sus of opinion among the growers is that
to-days convention has taken a long step
toward advancing the interests of the
California fruit industry. no matter what
may be thought regarding the plan to be
pursued. The car line which the growers
propose controlling probably will be
leased, as the capital on hand is not likely
in the immediate future to be anywhere
near sufficient for the building of cars.
As sort of compromise it is believed
that the directors, before taking any
steps toward controlling line of their
own. will first ascertain what kind Of
rates can be obtained from car lines now
in California or the East.
SANTA ROSA. June T.-At a meeting
Of the Sonoma County Horticultural So
ciety this afternoon a resolution was
passed indorsing the movement in Cali
fornina to secure shipment of the prod
ucts of the orchards. The subject under
discussion was the refrigerator-car com
bine: Many speakers spoke against the
combine.