The San Francisco call., 1901-12-07
WILL DEMAND
LOWER RATES
TO THE EAST
Fruit Growers Complain
Of Heavy Refriger-
alton Charges.
Better Service Is Necessary
to Insure Profit on
Shipments.

A decided stand was taken yesterday
by the Fruit Growers Convention against
the practice of the railroad companies
confining the refrigerator business to pri-
Vate parties or corporations. A practical
monopoly of this line of business now ex-
lists and, according to the statements
made on the floor of the convention the
fruit grower is subjected to the most un-
just and exorbitant charges.
The matter came up during the morn
ing session when the report of the perma-
nent committee on transportation was
taken up for discussion. r. D. Stephens
of Sacramento, chairman of the commit
tee, and who has borne the brunt of the
fight for lower rates and better service
on behalf of the fruit growers of the
State, spoke to his motion, asking the
adoption of the report.
After explaining in detail the work of
the committee, he said in part:
The reduction of time is one of the most
important factors, because as much good can
come from that to the fruit grower as from
any other thing. We must impress upon the
companies that unless the fruit arrives in the
Eastern markets in better condition than in
the past 1t cannot be distributed. The inn
mense profits from refrigeration have per
mitted those interested to virtually control not
only the distribution but the values of fruit
to a greater or less degree. All the growers
of California ask is to be placed on equal
ity, one with the other. The fact that the past
season has been comparatively prosperous is
dangerous from the fact that we might re-
main dormant and not make any protest to
the railways against renewing contracts with
the refrigerating companies who had an abso-
Lutte monopoly of refrigeration.
The slogan raised against Mr.. Earl was
that he not only had controlled refrigeration,
ring and selling fruit We want the railroad
companies to put on refrigerating cars as
they are doing in Washington and Oregon.
The growers are rot charged one cent for re-
frigeration from those States. Their fruits
are sent to markets in competition with ours.
1t would be wrong for this convention to ad-
Journ without taking positive action in this
matter The fruit growers are masters Of the
situation The companies realize that as a
result of the memorial of May q. 1 therefore
move that the convention indorse the demands
made in the transportation committees report
objecting to the railway companies renewing
or entering into contracts with Earl or
Armour any other line; that we opposed
TO the private ownership and control of
frigerator car lines; that we want the rail-
way companies to carry out their contracts
May memorial limiting the transit of decidu-
Gus fruits to six days to Chicago and nine days
TO New York, and that the railway companies
own their refrigerating cars as does the Great
Northern Railway.
Edwin F. Adams of Santa Cruz second
ed the motion.
w H. Aiken of Santa Cruz, speaking
to the question of time in transit, said
true, but that care in packing for East
ern markets was also essential. He re-
lated incidents of a recent visit to New
York and the methods of handling fruit
in the auction houses, saying that the
loss to poor packers in the lots he saw
was considerable.
1T is nice to meet here annually said
z. Berwick, ''and pass resolutions and
throw bouquets at the railroad companies.
If they promise to deliver fruit in New
York in nine days, let them do it, but
don't let them always make the poor fruit
grower their Scapegoat.''
A. N. Judd of Watsonville, an extern
sive shipper of apples, told of his expe-
riences gained during a recent trip
through Oregon, and explained the differ
eECes in freight rates. He said in part:
I found that every point was terminal
point, and at points where they were paying
sixty cents to Missouri River points and sew
enty-five cents farther east per hundred
pounds on apples, 1 found from similarly To-
Gated points we were paying 81 05. Refrigerat-
ing charges instead of being S35 $40 and
$I7 80, and extra charge for icing en- route.
The growers shipped 0,000 chests of strawber-
ries last year from the Hood River country
and are planting trees on that section to in
crease their orchard areas from 300 to 800 per
cent. Their prunes competing with ours
and what they lack in sweetness they make
up in size. When I told them 1 from
California they chuckled at the differences
You are making a market for our prunes
right along" These people are able to ship
Q spples over. two long mountain ranges cheap
er than from Watsonyille-
The report was adopted. AS two of the