Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-24
CAR SHORTAGE
FELT EVERYWHERE
FRUIT BUYER SAYS CONDITION
is GENERAL
California Not the only state Where
Lack of Transportation Facili-
ties Make Ranohers
Curse Fate

California Is not the only state that
Is having troubles because Of the short
age OF freight cars, according TO Kurt
Neumann, member of the firm of j.
w. Neumann & Co, wholesale ship
pers of foreign and domestic fruits, OF
Indianapolis.
Mr.. Neumann has come to Southern
California to buy oranges and at the
present is registered at the Angelus.
He has been IN the state only a few
days, but he has looked over the pros
pective orange crops and gives an opti-
mistlc opinion regarding them.
People should not grow too impa-
tient," said Mr.. Neumann. THE con-
ditions are quite unprecedented. The
present prospect has no parallel. You
Californians outgrow your facilities for
transportation. YOU are fortunate. You
do not outgrow your productive facili-
ties.
THE railroads are doing all they can
and the transportation problem VIII
finally adjust itself.
"The outlook, as far as quantity Of
the citrus crops is concerned, is about
the same as last year, and the quality
is especially good. During the last
three days the fruit has been sweeten-
ing on the trees and the flavor is fine.
In fact, 1 predict that 1t will outclass
Florida fruit.
Car Shortage Everywhere
1.-THE people out here do not need to
think they have any monopoly on this
shipping trouble business, for they have
not. 1 have looked into the question
and know the condition Is not due, as
great many think, to local causes.
They have it in Michigan and in New
York, and for that matter in every
other state In the Union where crops
are large.
1--WE have been buying apples in New
York and have had a difficult time to
get them shipped. There is no state
that has cars enough to move its crops.
The cars are not in America, and l do
not see any immediate relief for the
situation.
There Is more business than the rail-
roads are equipped to handle, and thus
the crops suffer. Many people have
said that the cars are being kept from
this district, but this is not true. In
the northern potato districts the want
of cars is felt even more keenly than in
Southern California.
Public Ownership Not Solution
"It is noticed here because oranges
make up the principal crop and are all
ripe at nearly the same time.
mo, do not think government own
ership of railroads would help to solve
the problem in the slightest degree. I
think it would only make things worse.
Government ownership of railroads has
been tried in Europe and the results
| have not been satisfactory. At present
| trained railroad men are doing their
best to relieve the situation. 1t is as
much to their advantage to do so as to
that of the growers, and what chance
could unframed government officials,
who know nothing of the railroad busi-
ness, stand where trained men have
difficulty?
"You have a marvellous interurban
system and the people should congrat-
ulate themselves on the excellent local
facilities for transportation of both
freight anG passengers.
Such facilities could not be possible
if the street railway system were under
municipal control, and the same holds
good with the government ownership
of railroads.
Likes California Girls
''I am here to spend the winter, and,
needless to say, 1 am charmed with
the country. Everything about Califor-
MIA is delightful, but the country is
nothing compared to the girls. The
western girl, I may say the California
girl, is different from the girl of any
other part of the country. Yes, 1t may
be true that the country is parent to
the daughter, and the country has
certainly proved herself q good parent"
Mr.. Neumann is a bachelor and in a
dangerous situation. He did not an
nounce whether one particular girl has
made him enthuse over California girls.
but he is a bachelor and that fact may
speak for itself.
The business of exporting American
fruits is steadily growing, according to
Mr.. Neumann.
1--WE have shipped great quantity
of apples this year and as the season
advances we will ship other fruits
abroad" said he.
1.-THE demand in the east for Cali
fornia oranges is also increasing and
last year 500 cars were used in Indian
apolis alone.''