Evening star., 1901-08-08
AM ER1CAN FRUIT
Government Will Assist Shippers to
Foreign Markets.
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENTS PLAN
Financial Aid Will Be Extended
in Certain Instances.
APPROVAL L

CONTROLLERS APPROVAL
Mr.. Tracewell the controller Of the
| treasury, gave his official sanction today
| to plan the Department of Agriculture
| is formulating to help American fruit
| growers secure a market for American
| fruit abroad. Mr. Wilson Is convinced that
| there Is great market abroad for Ameri-
| can fruit, but this market has never been
| developed because fruit growers would not
] risk the loss of shipments. Scientists of
| the department claim that Europeans are
| amazed at the size, quality and flavor of
many of the fruits of this country, and
hold that 1T is only a matter Of time when
| American fruit can command foreign mar
kets if it once obtains foothold. That
there may be beginning in the mannerAof
| shipments Secretary Wilson proposes to
use part of an appropriation made at the
| last session of Congress either to guar
| antee minimum return to fruit shippers
| or to defray whole or part of the trans
| pOrtation charges.
In letter to Controller TraceWel Sec
| retary Wilson says:
In the appropriation for 'pomological
| Investigations, 1902 digest of appropria-
tions, 1902. page 343. this language is used
" =" - to investigate, in CO.
| operation with the other divisions of the
| department and experiment stations of the
several states, the market conditions al
| fecting the fruit trade of the United States
| and foreign countries, and the methods Of
| harvesting, packing, storing and shipping
| fruit and vegetables, and for the expert
| mental shipment of fruits to foreign coun-
| tries, for the purpose of increasing the ex-
| portation of American fruits and for all
necessary expenses connected with the
practical work of the same
Questions Propounded.
Certain questions have arisen in con-
nection with the attempt to carry out the
provisions Of this appropriation act which
seems to require authoritative decision.
These questions have taken form fol-
lows:
"u) May this department. under the au-
thority Of this act, enter into cooperative
arrangements with dealers and exporters
whereby the department shall guarantee
a definite minimum net return per package
on fruit picked, packed, shipped and sold
under direction from the pomologist of
this department through the ordinary cham
nels of trade? Under such an agreement
the exporter would receive the net pro-
ceeds of sales; that is, all proceeds after
deducting freight and other charges con-
nected with the shipments and sales If
this net return should be less than the
guaranteed amount the difference between
the net proceeds actually realized and the
porter out of the money appropriated for
genealogical Investigations
Departments RespOnsibfIity.
Respecting this project the pomologist of
this department says: This plan seems
highly desirable If 1t can be adopted, as
under 1t the shipper has the incentive of
probable profit to stimulate in him due
care and attention in the handling Of the
fruit in the best possible way. The de-
partment simply assumes the risk Of losses
due to unforeseen accidents in transit or
to temporary glut and consequent low
price in the foreign market on arrival of
the consignment. In Short the department
would, in effect, agree to make good to
the experimental shipper a stipulated price
based on that obtainable at home in case
| the shipment for any reason should fail to
realize that price.
"C) If you shall decide that the law
does not permit tho department to enter
into arrangements by which minimum
prices may be guaranteed to exporters
then the following question Is presented
May the department contract to defray the
whole or any part of the transportation
OF fruits belonging to private owners (the
packing, shipping. ETC.. to be directed by
the officials of the department, the entire
proceeds Of the sales going to the person
who owns and ships the fruit?
"(3) If neither of the plans above pre-
sented shall meet with your approval, then
the question remains: Has the department.
under the language of the appropriation
act above quoted, authority to purchase
1rult outright for experimental export
shipment and sale through commercial
channels. If so. may the proceeds of such
sales be used for further purchases in
continuing the experimental shipments as
In the first instance. or must the proceeds
OF all sales be covered into the treasury
as miscellaneous receipts
90 Under the authority to investigate
the market conditions affecting the
fruit trade in the United States and for
e1gn countries. and the methods of harvest
Ing, packing, storing and shipping fruits
and vegetables is it permissible for the
department to conduct experiments with
fruits In storage and may fruits for such
experiments be purchased? At the termi-
nation OF such experiments must the pro-
ceeds of the sale Of the fruits found mar
ketable be covered into the treasury as
miscellaneous receipts?'
III the department is limited to the pur-
chase, shipment and sale Of such fruits and
vegetables. and II the proceeds of such
sales cannot be used in continuing the
shipments the amount appropriated is al
together too small to allow Of experimental
operations on scale sufficient to influence
the expectation of American fruits to any
appreciable extent. The language of the
appropriation is by no means specific and
1nasmuch as the suggested plans for CO.
operation in the experimental shipments
are quite different from any work hereto
fore engaged in by this department. the
matter is submitted to you for your advice
as to the legality Of the several proposed
methods"
Controller TracewelPs Decision.
Mr.. Tracewell briefly states that Mr.. VIII
son has authority to make a guarantee to
private owners or shippers. as suggested
in his first proposition. or pay transporta-
tion charges. as suggested in the second
proposition. Mr.. Tracewell suggests that
care be taken to protect the United States
from imposition or loss.
AnacOstia and Vicinity.
Mr.. F. E. Butterfield of Congress Heights,
who is experimenting the preliminary prep
arations for the construction there of the