The Glenwood post., 1909-07-31
NO TIME FOR THE TARIFF

While the people of the western
slope may have some interest in the
final tariff bill that will be decided
upon by congress. as a rule they are
saying but little and give but slight evi-
dence of being at all interested So in
tent are they on harvesting their big
crops that such questions as the tar
iff. who crossed the English channel
for the first time in an air ship and
who holds the worlds championship
in the heavyweight class are of little
or no concern.
The real question is elbow many
ears will we need to haul our crops
to the markets?'' Three times have
some of the fruit sections revised their
ear orders and indications are that the
figures will have to be given another
boost for the fruit -crops promise to
be heavier than even the most opti-
mistic had believed possible.
The crop of strawberries was re
cord breaker, cherries were more abun-
dant than ever, while peaches, plums
and apples are vieing with each
other to see which will need the most
ears for moving time. And not only
are our fruit men happy, but the gram
and hay men are feeling jubilant over
the outlook. The Denver News on
Wednesday had an editorial under the
caption. problem of the Western
Slope or Need of Warehouses. The
| News was telling its readers of let
! ter recently received from Delta in
which the fruit outlook and the needs
| for handling the crop were both dis
cussed at some length. The News said
! in part;
But the fruit crop of this year
brings some problems rather clearly
to light. 1t will take something be-
tween 5000 and 10000 cars to handle
this years output of the orchards of
the Western slope. The railroads have
been making elaborate preparations
and will handle the output with COM
parativelv little trouble The traffic
managers say that nonperishable
| freight will have to take its chance
for a while-perhaps for thirty days
but that the fruit crop will be cared
for. The News has had occasion to
make many complaints against Amer'
| can railroads, but seldom, indeed,
complaint against their efficiency
We believe even the present bumper
crop will be cared for.
But what will it be when the land
now being planted to orchards, and
soon to be planted, comes into bearingf
There will probably be 10000 acres OF
new orchards planted in the uncom-
pahgre valley within three years.
There will probably be rather more
than the number of acres planted IN
the Grand valley in the same time
Ultimately. when all the bitches are
through and all the orchard lands in
in bearing, the fruit crop of the West
ern slope will be not less than loo,ooo
carloads per year-it will more likely
be 100000 carloads. And that, we
submit. is more than can possible be
cot out of the Western slope during
the time now devoted to the fruit crop.
The remedy is pretty plain. There
must be cold storage warehouses built
in all large towns of the fruitgrowlng
section. Mr.. w. R. Haines has work
ed out the plans for such n storage
plant at Grand Junction and we
have no doubt our "Boo7ter' frien'
has done as much for Delta. There
can hardly be too many of these ware
houses. The great bulk of the fruit
crop will always be apples, and West
ern slope apples can be shipped in the
sprinp as well az in the fall. As we
see it. it is up to the slope to build
storage plants.