Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-28
FRUIT GROWERS
STILL WORRIED
RAILROAD MEN SAY NO NEED
FOR ALARM
Decision Of the Supreme Court Is
Viewed In Conflicting
Way by the interests
involved

Fruit growers all over Southern Cali
fornia are considerably worked up over
the supreme court decision Monday
taking away from them the right to
. route their shipments.
They feel that the decision was an in
Justice to them and after their sur
prise was over gave expression to their
feelings, which was more like a wall
than cry of indignation, for they
have no appeal from this decision.
They declare that the roads did not
use them fairly before the decision of
Judge Wellborn gave them the right
to route their shipments, and that they
cannot see why the policy of the roads
should now be any different than It
was before.
The fruit grower says that he is not
getting a just profit for his labors and
that the profit which he is now get
ting will be taken away from him.
On the contrary the railroad officials
Insist that the fruit growers have
worked many times more harm upon
the railroad companies since the Judge
Wellborn decision two years ago than
the railroads ever inflicted upon the
growers previous to that time.
Railroad and Customer
When questioned as to whether the
railroads would work any harm upon
the growers under the supreme court
decision rendered Monday giving the
initial roads the right to route all ship
ments, the executives replied yester-
day: would business man drive
away his best customer and ruin him 2"
The railroad men agree that the
citrus fruit hauling is one of their most
paying assets, and the officials are in
clined to laugh at the stories that the
growers have given out as to this de-
cision just rendered being but a step
toward their ruin.
An official who is closely in touch
with affairs but is now situated so that
his name cannot be used said yester-
day:
Will Stop Relating
1.-THE shippers have made a large talk
about the giving of rebates and have
been agitating legislation against it,
and at the same time have been ac-
cepting it if they could get 1t. For in
stance, they would go to some small
road and ask how much they would re-
bate to get the fruit business. If this
road was willing to give them $40 a
car rebate they would use this as
lever to work upon other roads and
might perhaps be able to get as much
as $40 car rebate.
Under the late decision all chances
for rebate will be done away with be-
cause there are only three initial roads
which will haul oranges from Southern
California, and these three roads will
have the entire say as to what route
the loaded cars shall go.
THE roads are in better condition
than ever to give fast service and quick
delivery on account of increased facil-
tiles for handling the trains and the
improved motive power and a better
road bed
Fast Time the Rule
1T is not their intention to sidetrack
any passenger trains in order to make
time with the fruit trains, but the
time of the latter will be almost as
fast as the former"
1t has not yet been stated by the Of
ficials of any of the roads as to just
when they will put the new ruling into
effect, but it is likely that they will
comply with the desires of the ship
pers as nearly as possible, and that
there will be no radical change for
most of the shippers now leave it to
the railroad employees to route their
shipments.