The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-07-16

ent because he wanted TO 500 tbo Nal.
county groves go further and act as a
unit with the State organization Ia -
salu that the fruit growing interests of
rlOrlda represented between 500 Ooo
OOO and $40, 200, 900, and a strong S ST.
organization WOULD be an irras;S Ill
power. He wanted to see the organ ,;o,'
ton perfected In Dade county and Si than
become a part of the Fruit & Vegetable
Growers Association, which Was al.
ready organized, but which, he req retted
to say, had received but little s,,nnort
from the growers of the East Coast
ms association had well paid attor.
ney whose particular business if was r.
take matters of discriminatory freights
before the Interstate Commerce Com.
mission. Mr.. Moore continued by saw.
ing that Florida sufl cred Discrimination
not only in competition with Cuba and
Porto Rico but with the growers Of
other sections of the country He
made it stronger by saying that Flor
ida growers paid higher rates than anv
similar class OF people in the world
In conclusion he presented J. c.. Chase
secretary and manager of the Florida
Fruit and Vegetable Growers Associa-
tlon, who came from Jacksonville to be
present.
Mr.. Chase related briefly the organ-
cation of State association two wears
ago and gave some account of the work
1t had accomplished for the benefit of
the growers. He said that when the
association began operations that Flor
ida growers didn't have a carload rate
and the first fight that the association
took before the Interstate commission
resulted in a saving of 5000, 900 a year
to the growers.
Mr.. Chase emphasized the fact that
while the Florida grower comes into
competition with the Cuban fruit first
that he is in competition with the grow
ers of Texas and Mississippi, California
and other states, which have an ad-
vantage in freight rates over Florida.
He said that the advantage enjoyed by
the Texas grower over the Florida
grower amounted to about 100 per cent
While the Florida fruit and package
were more attractive, still he said the
Texas and Mississippi growers could
sell their fruit for what the Florida
growers paid in freight and in this
manner the Florida grower bore an un-
Just burden to the prof of the railroad.
He said the growers of other states
we're preparing to make their fruits
more attractive on the markets by
adopting the Florida package.
That equitable freight rates are made
more needed than immigration and will
10 more to develope the resources of
he State was a statement boldly made
~ Mr.. Chase. He said that the agri-
cultural possibilities of the State were
,eng retarded and held back because
# the unjust freight rates levied by
he railroads. He said it would do no
rood to get people into the State to
ette the farms until the matters OF
ates was adjusted 50 that the Florida
armer would have fair deal in the
markets. He referred to the expert
nee of California. The growers or
,anized fight and secured a blanket
ate that made it possible to send car
rom one market to another IN cases OF
OngestiOn without extra cost To the
rover. "And when they had us all
eat on freight rates, said Mr.. Chase,
then they invited people to come IN
nd settle. ~,
"Why we have had practically the
anne freight rates in Florida for twenty
ears" said Mr.. Chase, there has
cen no change to meet the changing
onditions. If we expect to succeed 1t
!, necessary that we get reductions
MIR. Chase referred to the case now
Continued on page 81