Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-19
SAY THEY CANNOT
GET ENOUGH CARS
HANDLERS OF FRUIT TELL THEIR
TROUBLES
Evidence Before Commission Is De-
mandatory of the Holdings System
of Distributing Cars During
Shortage

Eloquent denunciation of the holdings
system of distributing cars i. time OF
shortage was the feature of yesterdays
hearing of the interstate commerce COM
mission, but when the witnesses were
prone to air their private grievances
Commissioner Finlayson promptly inter
rupted them and said that he was inter-
ested in finding out which of the two
methods was instrumental in saving the
most fruit.
]. S. Haight, president of the Haight-
Bethel Fruit company of Redlands, was
the first witness. He testified to several
instances in which his firm had been put
to considerable bother and actual loss
through the refusal of the Santa Fe to
provide cars when needed.
On cross examination, Mr.. Haight ad-
mitted that his company followed the
practice of buyers of fruit generally and
bought only at their own figures, even
waiting until the end of the season If a
grower would not accede to their PROPOSE
ton.
He had a very uncomfortable time re-
plying to the many hypothetical questions
of Attorney Chapman for the petitioner,
but he refused to recede from his former
declarations in favor of the system at
present in force on the Southern Pacific.
Under the holdings rule of apportion-
ing cars ir time of shortage" he said,
I'VE should have to go out of business
Denounced the System
A. McDermott, manager of the Citrus
union at Highland, was next called He
has charge of buying, shipping and in
fact all of the unions business In MS
district and was positive that the mold
ings rule was absolutely detrimental to
the buyers interests.
In citing an instance of loss that the
holdings system had occasioneu, Mr.. Nc
Dermott said: 81 bought an orchard w-.n
the understanding that 1 was to pick not
less than two carloads of fruit day, and
on February o. l notified the local agent
of the Santa Fe that l had two carloads
waiting for shipment.
1T didn't get a car until March T. ana
the next one March 8, Yearly two weeks
after had ordered them. The second car
of oranges were almost worthless Wneh
they arrived at their destination
BY Attorney Britt the witness was
told to state if his purchases for the sea-
son had not been greatly diminished by
the enforcing of the holdings system.
Yes. sir; they were he replied. Il
had to quit buying last year. L bought
twenty-five orchards, but because was
unable to ship promptly 1 was able to
handle orly two orchards at East High
land last season"
''Do YOU mean" asked Commissioner
Finlayson, that the lack Of cars was
solely responsible for that great differ
ence?'
well, there were several reasons why
we did not get more of the business at
that station, but we could have had much
more if we had been assured of having
cars when we wanted them. had to haul
most of the crops we got at East High
land over to Redlands and chip them over
the Southern Pacific
The witness said that not all of. the
members in the growers association ship
ped through the exchange, for he had
bought the entire crop of one or the d.
rectors of the local exchange.
"If they are good fellows, they stay
with the exchange, but If they like they
sell to u.s.
The hearing adjourned last night until