Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-07-26
CAR DISTRIBUTION
HEARING CLOSES
TESTIMONY OFFERED PROVES
VALUABLE
Case Promises to Result in Benefit Of
Growers and the Discontinue
of Various Railroad
Companies

With the examination of B. A. Wood
ford, general manager of the California
Fruit Growers exchange, the hearing o
the interstate commerce commission wa!
brought to a close yesterday, and Spe
cial Commissioner Frank G. Finlaysor
expressed himself as we'll pleased with
the large amount of testimony taken.
The hearing was begun July 8, and
nearly every large shipper of citrus
fruits in Southern California has been
heard in the controversy as to the merits
of the respective methods of apportion-
ing cars in time of car shortage.
After the testimony was all in yester"
day the lawyers for both sides agreed to
submit the case on briefs for the pres
ent and present the argument next fall
before the commission at Washington,
October 10. 1t is hoped to get decision
in time for the opening of the season in
November.
The inquiry disclosed a singular state
of affairs in that the Southern Pacific
Railroad company, named as respondent,
relinquished the defense of it's newly
established system to the Citrus union,
who voluntarily took up the fight started
by the California Fruit Growers ex-
change.
Exchange FaVors Holding Methods
The exchange petitioned the interstate
commerce commission to compel the rail-
road company to restore to use former
system of car distribution known as the
holdings method, which was abandoned
April IL for the present one, based on
the amount of fruit actually ready for
shipment.
Early in the hearing Attorney Peter
Dunno for the Southern Pacific said his
company was forced to adopt the present
system through threats of a suit by the
Citrus union, and was willing to resume
the holdings method If it was found to
be to the interest of the orange growing
industry.
Several officials of the Santa Fe rail-
road testified to the method of appor-
tioning cars according to the proportion
of the crop held by the respective grow
ers, which summed up briefly is as fol-
lows:
At the beginning of the fruit shipping
season each station agent with the as
sistance of special commercial agents
estimate the number of cars required to
move the crop in his territory, and the
aggregate number reported is computed
in the general office. The first estimates
are based upon statements from the
growers as to the amount of fruit their
crops will make. and then verified later
shipped the previous season by each
shipper.
Growers Overestimate
The verification was found necessary
because of the tendency of the optimistic
fruit growers to overestimate their crop
When all the figures are in the proper
ton of fruit held by each shipper was
calculated and like proportion of cars
allotted to him
Right here is where the Citrus union
found cause for its complaint, as II
claimed the smaller shipper was at the
mercy of associations like the exchange
and would have to wait an unreasonable
length of time for car, while their fruit
decayed in the packing houses
1t was further alleged that the law OF
the state required the cars furnished tc
shippers who actually had their goods
ready for shipment, and to this end they
began preparations to compel the rail.
roads to furnish them cars.
Considerable information as to the pack
ing and shipping of oranges was ELECTED
through the hearing and the decision will
be agerly awaited by growers all over
the state.