Arizona republican., 1903-06-25
PHOENIX. ARIZONA. JUNE 25. 1903.
nr. Ripley Saves the Lemon Industry

President Ripley of the Santa Fe svstem has saved the lemon industry of the Pacific coast. In these columns last year we made mention of MT. Rip ley's plan for placing lemon growing on a profitable basis. It was, in brief' 10 have the railroad company provide cold storage warehouses at nominal cost for all the lemons shipped over the line. the fruit to be held in storage until the owners found the market satis- factory.
 The plan was put in operation after several conferences between MT. Rip ley and the lemon growers of southern California. The business of growing lemons had long been unprofitable. The growers insisted that 1t was be- cause of high freight rates maintained by the transcontinental roads. MT. Ripley showed that this was an error. He pointed out that the rate on lemons from the Pacific coast to the eastern markets was, in fact. very low, every thing considered; that the real cause of the stagnation in the business was to be found in the sharp competition which the California fruit had to meet in the form of foreign lemons which appeared on the market at the time the California shipments were heaviest. He showed that if the railroad should still further reduce the freight rate the market price of lemons from abroad
  there would be no profit whatever for the railroad, and the lemon growers would be in the same position as be- fore. Mir. Ripley then suggested that if the California lemons could be held back until the Sicilian and other lem ons were not so plentiful in the mar ket and until the warm weather brought a heavier demand, the prob lem in his opinion would be solved, and he announced that as an expert ment the Santa Fe would provide cold storage warehouses in Chicago and elsewhere, would transport California lemons thereto. and hold the fruit sub ject to the orders of the shippers, the freight charges to be paid when the lemons were sold. The plan was car ried into execution, a new process of refrigeration owned by the Santa Fe being used.
 Some Of the growers accepted the plan in a grumbling spirit, notwith- standing MT. Ripley's generous efforts for their betterment. Knowing much lers ahout trapSpor+a tiop probIaY,oo and markets than they did about the process of growing lemons. some of them were still sure that the one thing needed was lower freight rates, and readers of the newspapers will recall that MT. Ripley was savagely abused the men for whose benefit he was working
 It is now found that MT. Ripley's idea was an inspiration. San Diego lemons, after being held in storage all winter and spring, are found in perfect condi- tion, and of course the great market for the fruit is during the hot months. Good prices are realized, and for the first time in many years the lemon growers Of southern California are re- ceiving profitable returns from their shipments. There is no reason why the business should not pay hand somely. hereafter, not only in Califor- mia but in Arizona as well. The lemon business has been saved, not by the howlers against corporations, but by great business man, who has applied to the problem some of the knowledge which has enabled him to make such q brilliant success as the head of the Santa Fe system.
 The interesting developments carry their own story for the people who are always insisting that the question of markets is simply a question of trans portatiOn and that the only way in which to make the country prosperous is to "cinch' the railroads.
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 Dlaz's Successor.