The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-08-09
SEEK TO ROB
fruit GROWER
Interests Allied Against Tillers of
Soil Seeking to Deprive
Them of Advantages
TARh f REGULATIONS ARE
SOUGHT TO BE SET ASIDE
Selfish Interests would Deprive
American Lemon Growers to
Reap Benefits Given by Dis
eliminating Tariffs

WASHINGTON, Aug. THE farm
or and frutgrower is likely to feel
that he is too often Disseminated
against by the railroads. by the tariff,
by the commission men, by aim ost
every one with whom he comes into
contact He has so long been pic
tured "rube" who readily buys
green goods and gold bricks that he
is tempted to think, at times. that
even Uncle Same looks on him in that
light For years the farmers have
been asking for the same measure of
protection in the tariff world that
has been accorded freely to the labor
ing man and the manufacturer. Has
he got it? Not always Occasionally
the man who tills the soil has got
something but it has been hard won,
and no sooner did he get 1t than pow
erfu forces were arrayed to snatch it
away from him
Take concrete case. In Florida
and California the climate was found
TO be suitable for growing oranges and
lemons. Enterprrsing pioneers In
both states took up the new lines
with enthusiasm They met with
many diScouragements and setbacks.
There were insect pests, frosts,
droughts. scarcity and high cost of
labor, unknown problems to solve
years to wait for returns, and com
petition from foreign lands when
other problems had all be reduced
and success achieved. Orange grow
ing reached d stage where the home
growers controlled the market and
competition was little feared. Lemon
growing continued to be a hard fight
slthough the problem Of producing
better lemon than the imported had
been solved and so per cent of the
home market was supplied by home
grown lemons. The extension of the
market was checked because the inn
porters with cheap home labor and
cheap ocean freights, could and did,
keep the America fruit from reach
ing the seaboard whenever they wish
sd to do 50,
Even Break for Grower
Congress wanted to give the Amer
-cn growers an even break. and add
one-half cent per pound to the
iit bll ltlilbuS' VI dDbul pHt anu
ava-third cents a dozen. one-eighth
os n cent on each lemon. During
the hottest portion OF the summer
lemons sold in Washington at 10 ana
81 cents a dozen. No one found anv
complaint with this except the Italian
Importers m New York city They
started i'm at once to raise sush
fund to fight the tariff. The growers
in Sicily and Italy agreed to pay from
to 10 cents on each box or lemons
imported into the United Sattes 70
help fight the tariff. They began 4
campaign to arouse the American
public to d belief that it was being
wronged, and to influence Congress
to remove the tariff on lemons. Con-
gressmen were appealed to by tho
agents of the importers, the pushcart
men and the retail fruit dealers.
Untruthrul petitions were circulat-
ed. So untruthful that their mendac-
lty was evident at 4 glance. one
form Of petition refers to the bur
densome duty on lemons" alleged to
be "for the purpose of doubling the
wealth OF ten or dozen millionaires
of California. and also for the pur-
pose Of paying the wages of tens Of
thousands of Japanese soldiers who
exclusively monopolize the labor OF
the California lemon orchards. thus
depriving American laborers of OPP
portunity Of labor and wages This
is very absurd. as well as false 10
patroniZe the foreign lemon growers
and steamship companies would be
better, the importers think, than to
patronize American railroads, Ameri-
can orchardists and American labor.
Japanese are employed to a very
small extent in the region where
lemons grow.
II there We're enough white labor
thoy would not be employed at all.
Moreover. oranges and lemons are
now grown in Arizona, Texas, Flori-
ia, Alabama. Mississippi and Geoi-
Bia.
HarllciS Circulate Petitions
Such petitions as those just referred
TO have been circulated at Atlantic
roast summer resorts by "barkers,"
such as those who attract attention to
the shows at seaside amusement
parks, and many small boys signed
them. Posters have also been dis
played by these Sicilian agents charg~
ing the thigh cost of living" on lem
on tariff, which would not cost the
average person one cent in a year, if
anything al all for lemons nave ac-
.ually been cheaper this year than
.heH We're before the duty was in
creased, SO that the dealers (who are
-eallY at the mercy of the importers)
arc promising a great deal If they
promise To- reduce the cost Of lemons
h, case tho present tariff is repealed.
The fact is that the duty was not