The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-19
The REFRIGERATOR Car Question.

creating an excitement over a declared
advance in the cost of refrigeration
and the consequent increased cost OF
the shipment of green deciduous fruit
of California for the current season
The Chronicle" created this excite
ment and famed it into flame at
time when the fruit growers, being
without sufficient capital to can or dry
their fruits, were receiving proposals
from fruit-buyers and shippers for the
products of their orchards.
When the fruit-raiser, whose means
of .ascertaining what is going on in
the world is limited, is told by the pa
per he reads that there is to be no
profit whatever in fruit culture the
coming season; that the cost of trans
portation has been increased; that the
refrigerator car companies have
formed a conspiracy to rob him, he is
in exactly the right mental mood to
sell the growing crop on his trees at
the minimum price. Every orchard
sold by contract at the period of this
excitement will bring less than it would
If the growers had been encouraged to
believe that fruit shipping for the sea-
son of 1899 would be profitable and
thereby induced to hold out for a fair
price. Nothing could have been more
opportune for the buyers of orchards
than to have the opinion prevalent that
the fruit growing upon the orchards
was worth little or nothing
The Chronicle has performed a
most signal service for the buyers, and
has inflicted distinct injury upon the
fruit-raisers of the State.
Growing out of this state of alarm,
the fruitgrowers' preliminary conven-
ton has just been held in the city of
Sacramento. The accounts of the pro-
ceedfngs of this convention published
in the papers, which simply reported
them to the end that their readers
might know what action had been
taken, will be read in vain for any
evidence that there is to be any in
crease in the cost of shipping fruit
this year. On the contrary, the man.
ager of one of the fruit-shipping firms
presented a table which showed a re-
duction avera ging about 10 per cent.
in the cost of refrigeration this year
over last years quotations. This man.
ager of the shipping company explained
his presence at the meeting by say
ing that he had come to receive in
struction and to learn, if he could,
what all this agitation was about as
there was nothing whatever in the
situation menacing the interests of the
fruit grower other than the seeming
desire of certain newspapers to secure
or create a sensation The Chairman
of the meeting interrupted the speaker
by declaring that the proposed reduc-
all, be absorbed, and the original rates
would be practically restored when the
minimum transportation by carload
was raised from $4,000 pounds to %
eco pounds. The response was that
the statement was erroneous. The ship
pers representative also said that,
while he believed that it was an error
on the part of the railroad company
to raise the minimum from 24,OOO
pounds to $4,000 pounds, the increased
cost of refrigerat ton would only be
proportionate, and would absorb but
small part of the reduction. So that,
Notwithstanding the meeting had been
called for the purpose of protest
ing against the enormous increase in
the cost of shipping fruit there was
no one present to refute this statement.
The Chairman of the meeting called
upon Mr.. Stabeler Of Yuba City to tell
what he knew concerning the matter.
What Mr., Stabeler knew was an indi-
cation of what all the members of the
convention knew, and Mr. Stabeler
proved in the first few minutes of his
talk that he knew nothing whatever.
Quoting from the published reports. it
appears that Mr.. Stabeler said that he
knew nothing about any combine, but
that he wanted to find out all about
it; that charges had been made in the
public press, and he thought it about
time that the charges be investigated.
and he thought matters had gone far
enough to justify the committee in cali
ing convention of the fruit growers
of the State to investigate them. He
said that the Chairman had evidently
discovered something in the new tariff
rates imposed by the refrigerator COM
panies which would initiate against
fruit growers, and he thought the prop
er thing to do was to find out Just what
that something was and then take stems
TO offset it. He had been informed,
through the newspapers, that a COM
bine had been formed by two refrigera-
tor companies. He hoped the Chair
man of the committee would follow him
and explain just what was wrong, in
order that a convention of fruit grow
ers might be called and concerted ac-
ton might be taken to remedy the ex-
listing evil. He thought it would be
wise to ascertain whether the two re-
frigerator car companies would work
hardships on small growers.
This fairly represented the mental I'M
certainty which pervaded the conven-
ton. Here was a meeting called in
the presence of a great emergency. The
cost of refrigeration was to be in
creased. The fruit industry of the
State was to be destroyed. The fruit
grower was to be robbed When the
convention assembled, one of its prin-
cipal speakers declared in the presence
Of all the delegates present that he knew
nothing about any combine; that he
only knew what had been stated in the
public press, and that he thought the
charges should be investigated. He
hoped that the Chairman of the com
mittse Who had called the meeting
would follow him and explain lust
what was wrong: but the Chairman did
not respond to the invitation, nor i'm
prove the opportunity.
Another speaker, Mr. Blowers Of
Woodland, had not had an opportunity
to study the matter All he knew Of
1t was what he had seen in the papers
and heard in the convention.
Still another speaker, Mr.. Cults of
Live Oak, thought the Chairman could
get in week the necessary information
as to whether anything was going on,
n nd -aI he