Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-17
GROWERS IN
ANGRY MOOD
FRUIT MEN SEVERELY CRlTlcISE
FEDERAL CHEMIST
San Francisco Convention upholds
Sulphur Method of Drying, and
"PoIson Squad" 10 subject
of Warm Discussion
BY Associated Press.

against the process of using sulphur
fumes in the drying of fruits, If sos-
| tained, will strike a death blow to the
California dried fruit industry; that the
| drying of fruits by artificial heat or
evaporation is impracticable and impos-
sibie In this state; that the contention OF
DR.. Harvey w. WHEY that the use OF
sulphur in bleaching and drying fruits is
deleterlous to the public health is his own
| conclusion not supported by facts ana
challenging him to produce evidence on
pain of appealing to the federal courts 10
set aside ruling No. I6 of the pure 1000
\ inspection bureau, were the tenor and
sentiments of all the speeches and reso.u-
lions at the convention of the California
fruit growers held in the rooms OF the
state board of trade In the Ferry build
| ing today, fer the purpose OF considering
the question which the government has
forced upon the fruit growers OF this
state.
Incidentally. DR.. Wiley of poison
squad" fame and secretary Wilson OF
| the agricultural department came In for
| some caustic criticism. The former IN
spections were ridiculed by some speakers
and declared to be inconc.usive by others.
Committee is Named
A committee consisting of w. II. Brails-
ford of KINGS county. b. E. Hutchinson
| of Fresno county oil. - y rNoy sc va
| chico George w. Pierce of Dayisville,
Judge ]. c. DAILY of Ventura, E. d. Petit
of San Jose and Arthur r. Briggs, presi-
dent of the state board Of trade, as DELE
| gate-at-large. we're named by the con-
yention as representing the tive fruit-
growing districts of the state to proceed
to Washington TO protest against ana }.
| possible secure from the department OF
agriculture a modification of the ruling'
To this delegation Will be added dele-
gate from the North Bay counties, who
will he selected rext Monday. The com
mittee will leave for Washington as soon
as practicable.
The entire morning session was taken
up with a general discussion OF the ques-
ton, the effects OF the department $ rul-
ing on the fruit growing interests or TINS
state. the statements of growers VINO had
tried artificial drying without sulphur
which was declared to be an utter Ial,-
IRE impractical and impossible. and with
| tbo consideration of q motion of Judge
NJ. p. Chapman, calling for the appoint
meut of a committee 20 consider the va
rious suggestions and resolutions ana re-
mort some plan. Judge Chapman was
made chairman of this committee.
r.. r. Sutherland Of San Bernardlno
presented a resolution declaring that Dr-
Wilev's ruling was "hiJ own conclusion
| Wiley ito produce evidence tnat VIII
show any i'll results TO health from cat
ins fruits dried Dy the sulphur process,
| and urging that unless modified aetion
be brought in the federal courts asallsl
the department of agriculture Tor dam
ages sustained by the dried fruis inter-
ests OF the state" 49,.
This. with various resolutions iron'
boards OF trade and fruit growers asso-
| 1aYtS of the state
were referred 10 the committee on reSo
Iutions.
Arthur r. Briggs. president OF me stas'
board of trade was elected chairman ano
| A. L. Mcdonald, secretary or the con-
vention.
About $50 delegates from all the fruit
growing counties OF the state were pres
| emit
Judge Chipman asked whether the pro-
cess of driving fruits which has stood the
tests for thirty years and had received
| the apnrovai OF the worlds markets
was TO all at once be eradioated by a
ruling of the agricultural department!
Noah C. Rogers of Fresno county main
tanned that if the ruling was allowed TO
stand the only recourse for California
fruit growers was green fruit shipments
and canning.
Judge ]. G. DAILY of Ventura did not
believe in the passive policy pursued by
the fruit men In trucking to bureau
employees of the government"
Demands Evidence
He demanded that DIR. Wiley produce
evidence and proof that sulphured fruits
are Injurious to health and suggested that
the question be taken into the federal
courts, citing Dr. Wiley to show cause
why the ruling of the agricultural depart
| mani sbOuid NOT he set aside.
Numerous letters and kilograms from
| Secretary Wilson were read stating that
| the experts brought out TO California for
the purpose of investigating the pro-
cess of drying fruits had not yet made
their reports, and until those reports
were received the department could not
| state what its future policy will be.
Prof. NJ. Z. 'Jaffa, director of the pure
food laboratory at the University of Cali,
fornia. while expressing his sympathy
with the growers. defended DIR. Wiley
| pointed out the vast number of his ex-
periments. the difficulty of arriving at the
| exact facts and counseled patience on this
part of the growers. Others who PARTED,
pated in the discussion were: w. A
Schaffer of Fresno, C. W. Worthing Of
San Jose and Col. John p. Irish o.
Placer county.
When the convention reconvened il
| the afternoon, the following report, il
part, from the committee named in tn,
morning, was read and unanimously
adopted:
ANY rule established by the genera
government which may compel our frui
growers to abandon present methods o
curing our dried fruits would result il
the practical destruction of the industry
not only to the irreparable injury of tn
producer but to the great loss of tn
consumer.
'"rhere are many thousands of grower
engaged in the bushes in all parts o
the state, whose sole means of living. TO
themselves and families in the market
ing of their fruits in the dried form.
"The annual shipments out of the stat
of fruit dried by the suns heat afte
having first been subjected to the fume
of burning sulphur, amounts to owe
sic, 900, co.,
I'VE therefore firmly protest agains
any interference on the part of the gov
ernment with the industry as now con
Quoted unless upon competent evidence
showing the product under present meth
DDS to be injurious to the public health
and we insist that the experiments aim
ing to demonstrate the wholesomeness o
EMBELLISHMENTS of the product b
made with a view to determine its con
dition when properly prepared for con
SUMPTION and we view any experiment
as unsatisfactory which deal with tn
question from the standpoint of the cor
, ditions of the fruit at any earlier stage.
The report recommended that a com
mittee go TO Washington to represen
the fruit growers of California in tn
matter and that the committee consist {