Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-23
LEMON GROWERS
GET INJUNCTION
RAILROADS CANNOT RAISE
RATES DECEMBER 6
Judge w. w. Morrow Decides That
Citrus Men Have Best of Argu-
ment-Must Give Bond
of $250,ooo

After a hearing lasting all day in
the United States circuit court where
arguments on the suit brought by the
citrus growers of Southern California
to enjoin the railroad companies from
putting into effect December an IN
crease in the freight rate on lemons
the citrus men won the contest when
Judge W. w. Morrow who came here
from San Francisco to hear the case,
granted a temporary injunction ana
ordered that the fruit men furnish a
bond of S250,000 to protect the railroad
companies from loss in the event the
proposed rate of $1.15 is declared legal
by the interstate commerce commits
sion.
The victory for the fruit men means
a great deal to the citrus growers OF
this state and involves nearly a MIL
lion dollars yearly.
The contest was hard fought at every
point, and lengthy arguments were
made on disputed facts at frequent m
tervals. The most lucid explanation OF
the matter of the proposed increase IN
freight rates on lemons from 81 to $l.l9
q hundred pounds from California 10
points beyond the Rocky mountains
was made by Attorney A. f. Can, Who'
with his brother, Joseph II. call, ap-
peared for the citrus growers.
Sees No Justice in the Raise
Attorney Call declared that the
amount involved in the difference in
the freight rates was the least to be
taken into consideration. He declared
that, even though it would be dif-
ficult matter to collect the dlHerehce
from the railroad people if the proposed
rate was allowed to go into effect, the
delay would cause considerable loss
which would be hard to replace be-
cause, when the growers found It I'M
possible to raise and ship lemons at
profit they would destroy the groves
and quit producing the fruit.
He declared that it costs no more
now to transport freight than IT dld
when the present rate of 81 a hundred
pounds on lemons went into effect sew
eral years ago, and answered the con-
tention of the defense, who stated that
if the rate was not raised the growers
in Florida would want lower rate
and cause much trouble by declaring
that California produced more than 60
per cent of the citrus fruit grown in
the United States and consequently
more carloads are shipped from this
state and that the longer the haul the
less the cost in trainloads.
He ontended that the average haul
is less than 800 miles and the railroad
company is making sufficient revenue
in transporting citrus fruits, because
it is the best freight which railroads
handle, and owing to the fact that
the cars that haul the lemons TO the
eastern markets are reloaded with
other freight and shipped back to the
Pacific coast.
Cost of Production Higher
He stated the cost of service as re-
CARDS the wages has increased some
since the 81 rate on lemons went into
effect several years ago, but he said
the cost of producing the fruit also
has advanced and that the matter of
production and transportation conse-
Quently was equaliZed.
The citrus growers alleged that the
present rate of 81 a hundred pounds
on lemons is a contract rate which
went into effect several years ago,
when both the growers and the rail-
roads agreed that the rate would be
permanent one and that the fruit men
would not make an effort to take steps
for a reduction in the freight rate on
oranges.
The attorneys for the citrus growers
contended that the fruit producers
have kept thier part of the agreement