Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-02-27
WORRIES FRUIT GROWERS
2edlands Men Say Effect Will Be
Beneficial for Trade

When the announcement was made
In Los Angeles that, by supreme
court decision, the initial railroads
now have the power to route the ship
ments, the news fell like a bomb
among the citrus fruit growers and
many of them predicted that their
financial ruin was now pending.
On the other hand some of the rail-
road officials declare that the citrus
fruit growers will receive more bene-
fit from the new mode of routing than
they did when they routed their own
cars.
One railroad official, who asked that
his name be withheld said yesterday
that this is only another link that has
been forged in the chain with which
the railroad trust is now encircling the
country. 1t was his opinion that the
new ruling means that thousands Of
men in the employ of the railroad COM
panies will be thrown out of work.
No longer will the freight solicitors
be needed, is his opinion. That the
decision applies to all kinds of freight
and that the railroads will not need
men to solicit business from individ-
uals when the individuals no longer
have the power to say by what route
their shipments shall go.
The citrus fruit growers declare
that the railroads VII now take adj
vantage of them and force many Of
them to quit the business on account
of the long delays to shipments.
"lmagnary Wrongs"
On the other hand the railroad Off
Gals declare that the wrongs that will
be inflicted are only imaginary and
that the fruit grower will be better
treated than before.
Edward Chambers, assistant freight
traffic manager of the Santa Fe with
headquarters in San Francisco, is in
Los Angeles and in speaking of the
decision Of the supreme court yester-
day said:
II have always commended that the in
itial roads should have the right to
control all of the freight which they
haul and should be allowed ~ route
1t as the officials should see best.
There is nothing to this talk that Is
being made about driving citrus fruit
growers out of business. They will be
treated better than ever before.
"The railroads are bound to treat
them right in order to get their bust
ness. Competition compels the roads
to do this. The one serious question
that has ever bothered either the
growers or the railroad officials in Cal
ifornia is the proposition of always
keeping cars on hand.
''In order to keep good supply of
cars on the side tracks to take care of
the fruit they must be returned from
the east as soon as they are unloaded
Old Drawbacks
when the shippers routed their own
cars they did not make arrangements
for the return of cars and consequently
some of the eastern roads would take
their time about doing so. There was
nothing to make them return these cars
quick, just as long as they made quick
deliveries of fruit Then the growers
blamed the local railway companies If
they did not have supply of cars on
hand.
THE railroad companies will now de-
liver the fruit quicker than they have
ever done before. 1t stands to reason
that they will give the cars to the road
best equipped to handle them because
they must give the best service pos
slbe in order to hold the business. The
railroad officials are in better po-
sition to know which is the best road
to handle the fruit"
Among the fruit men seen yester-
day was II. A. Woodford. manager of
the California Fruit Growers ex-
change, who pictured a dark outlook
ahead for the fruit growers.
Hope for Best
california fruits" said Mr. Wood
ford during the past two years have
been delivered In two-thirds of the
time that IL took before the Judge
Welborn decision.
"California growers have enjoyed two