The San Francisco call., 1910-01-29
FRUIT GROWERS
ORGANIZE LEAGUE
New Association Scores State
Railroad Board for Failure
to Act
FayOrs Establishment OF Fed
eraI Line of Steamers on
Pacific Coast
[Speoial Dispatch 10 The Call

Tor neglect in falling TO file complaints
with the interstate commerce commits
sion against the high freight rates on
canned and dried fruitss recommending Z
as "a necessity the formation Of cen
trad body OF an the deciduous fruit
shippers so as 10 secure proper distri-
hutton OF the product in the eastern
. ulsrketS. and demanding that action
bC taken 10 secure a standaroiza ton OF
frur. the California deciduous fruit
growers league today formally took
lir, as "A permanent body i'm one Of the
lireIest meetings held by fruitmen IN
thc state of California.
-Four hundred fruit growers, fruit
shippers and others interested i'm the
business gathered here in the First
CONGREGATIONAL church to ratify the re-
port Of the committee Of 10 appointed
bv state horticultural Commissioner
Jeffrey. pursuant TO the order of the
state fruit growers in convention at
WatSonVIle last month
FAEORS FEDERAL STEAMER LINE
Under the heading of matters of
general interest the convention spoke
dts mind in resolutions on subjects OF
vital interest TO the fruit industry. 1t
Endorsed the work Of the freight rate
committee favored the establishment
81 a
Pacific between Pacific coast points
and Panama and even took up the sub
iect OF direct legislation and placed
The stamp Of approval upon H.
spice TO the meeting was furnished
Iy r. d. stephens of Sacramento.
prominent fruit grower He took the
leadership Of an insurgent band as
soon as Commissioner jeffrey called
1he meeting TO order by opposing the
formation OF the lea que on the ground
that the work proposed by il would be
in conflict with that OF the freight
rates committee of the WatsOnville
convention and If formed would be
reflection on the rates committee.
lie attacked the rule which placed
restrictions on speeches, insisting that
the ID minute limit was a gag rule. He
wound UP the session with lengthy
and heated discussion with Colonel n.
RVeiustock on the f. O. b. system Of
shipping fruit and barred some of the
tactics Of the corporation shippers.
RESOLU TION BRINGS DISCUSSION
The resolution that brought up the
. discussion Of thief o. b. system follows:
Resolved. that the deciduous fruit
growers demand thai the shlpplng
organizations, cooperative ana
others. get together ana arrange q
collective system Of distribution in
order that the fruit may not be
forced into competition with Hselt
ia the eastern markets TO the loss
of the grower, experience having
shown that satisfactory results can
ha obtained only when the distribu-
tiou Is made from TINS end ihrough
one channel.
Resolved. further. that any ship
ping organize tiOn which shall de-
cline 10 comply with this resolution
las not The best interest Of the
growers Al heart
Colonel H. WeinstOck champiOned
-T.-
organization could handle eastern ship
ments of fruit under general system
OF distribution. thus preventing ship
ments being made 10 common poin S
where theN would be in competition.
stephens answered Weinstock at
length, attacking The T. O. b. system.
He said that the California fruit dis
tributors now control 20 per cent Of
the shipments from California and
were unable to show the growers how
the eastern market was bettered.
should a concern control the entire
percentag ge he believed there was no
assurance that conditions would be i'm
proved stephens declared that not a
car of fruit was shipped out of Cali
fOrnia last year T. o. b. in the strict
meaning Of the system, the grower in
every case being held responsible for
losses after he had appa rently disposed
of his products 70 he Incorporation.
This resolution was finally adopted.
RAILROAD COMMISSION FLAYED
The league went after the state board
of railroad commissioners. rOhghshod
in resolution which condemned the
commissioners for neglect of duty, al
though given special power by the last
legislature TO act on excessive freight
rates. After reciting instances Of neg
lect in failing TO hle complaints with
the interstate commerce commission
regarding increased rates in canned
. and dried fruits. the resolution says:
Resolved. that we consider that ii is
the duty Of the state board of railroad
commissioners to proceed, with this
matter for and on behalf of the people
az the state Of California as being a
matter of public interest and Of great
concern to the producing interests of
The state Of California"
Resolutions were also adopted asking
the next Legislature TO submit an
amendment to the constitution provid-
ing for direct legislation through the
Initiative. referendum and recall; in
dorsing a federal steamer line between
Pacific coast points and Panama; pledg-
Ing growers to a higher standard of
fruit for shipment east and calling
upon the transcontinental lines to
grant lower rates to deciduous fruit
shipments have increased from 5000
10 $4,000 cars year, the rate has de-
creased but 3 per cent
The committee responsible for these
resolutions consisted of @. Z Lawrence
Of Lodi Isador Jacobs Of san Fran
cisco. A r. Galloway Of Healdsburg
J. p. Dargitz Of Acampo and C. H
Rodgers Of Watsonville.
FORMATION OF LEAGUE
The formation Of the league was
effected at the morning session. ANY
fruit grower owning FIVE acres Of de-
ciduous fruit nuts or grapes, and any
company or association or shipper OF
fresh or dried fruit or nuts is entitled
10 membership. but no person or firm
can have more than one vote. The as
sessment was fixed at 81 in all cases
Growers are TO pay 1 cent per acre
and the shippers 10 cents per can
shipped al based on the 1909 business
There We're objections TO some of these
features. but when the charter roll
was opened 121 members signed.
Commissioned Jeffrey was authorized
TO appoint an advisory committee OF
30 10 solicit members for the league
An executive committee Of nine is to
De chosen from this number to conduct
the business of the league employ