The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-06-14

6 oiohSSS when LHey were
, ABOUT one-tH1rd colored. The result
was that there was nothing but grief
on all early shipments. This year
reversed the order of things and did
not allow single grower to bring in
1rult until it was we'll colored and
sugared up to a certain percentage
and this season | have not had a sin.
gle complaint
MT. Wagner: I move that the idea
set forth under the heading, Green
citrus Fruit" be recognized as cor
rect IN principle, and that the princi-
pies as therein enunciated be adopted
as the sense of the Western Fruit
Jobbers Association of America
The motion was seconded and car.
ried.'
Mr. 5. e. Lux Is one of the largest
and most responsible wholesale fruit
dealers in Topeka, Kans. Mr.. Charles
b. Bllls is the president of the Pho
neer Fruit Company at Sacramento,
Cal, which handles a considerable
volume of citrus fruits.
There is a moderate demand for
oranges through this country for
thanksgiving. Following this there
is tremendous demand for oranges
lor the Christmas trade. There is a
strong temptation ON the part of all
dealers to supply this demand, and
Tor a great many years, California
has INDUCED in the practice of ship.
ping green oranges. She can put out
but a limited quantity, however, for
Thanksgiving, and as soon as these
Thanksgiving orders are filled they
cut out thair shipments until time
to begin shipping for Christmas. They
usually shut their packing houses
down on the Sth until the 10th OF
December and do not open again I'm
I'll there is demand from the Eastern
markets for oranges. There Is
short period between the Thanksgiv-
ing trade and the Christmas, trade
which gives the dealers an Joppor-
tunity to clean up the poor stuff which
they have bought, which. they rarely
ever do at profit to themselves or
to the satisfaction of the consumers.
After the Christmas trade is over,
there is a lull, sometimes of thirty
days before there is any considerable
movement of California oranges. This
gives their fruit an opportunity to ma.
ture. In Florida there has been dis.
position to begin in September and
to keep a continuous stream of or
anges going to market, regardless of
market conditions or the maturity of
the fruit, and We can look back over
the past ten years prior to the season
Of 191l-12 at the consecutive years
Of disaster to growers and dealers,
due to this foolish policy of forcing
immature oranges upon people who
do not want them, and will not have
them. In vain effort to persuade |
growers affiliated with the Exchange. |
and operators not affiliated with it, |
to refrain from this suicidal course,
the Exchange took up the matter of |
legislation and succeeded in having |
bill passed by the Florida legisla-
ture making it crime under the law
for any person to ship, or offer for
shipment from this state citrus fruits |
that were immature or otherwise I'M
fit for consumption. This act passed |
the legislature almost Immediately. |
1t was heralded as a good law. Prac-
tically before it was, out of the hands
of the governor agencies who had
profited and would continue to profit |
through the handing of this immature
fruit, took steps to offset its good in
fluence, and to this end were report.
ed to have employed counsel to go
into the law, disseCt it and discover
a weakness, if it was there, which
would make it imperative Some of /
their number visited Tallahassee, and
in some of the trade and daily papers
what purported to be an in
terview with these gentlemen, in
which it was stated that the law
made no provision for its enforce
ment; hence%it was a dead letter.
They were reported to have formed
a pool among themselves, each one
paying his pro rata of the expense
to fight it. The Florida Citrus Ex-
change, after the law was passed,
took it up with the commissioner of
agriculture, whose duty the Exchange
had been advised it was to
have this law enforced through the
state pure food department. The
of agriculture took the
position outlined in the purported in
above referred to, and the at
torney general of the state was ap-
pealed to through the commissioner
Of agriculture. In the opinion rem
lered by the attorney general, Park
Trammell, under date Of October 10,
1911 addressed to Hon. B. E. McLin,
of agriculture, the last
reads as follows:
Under the general pure food law,
you have the authority to have eX-
and inspections made Of
citrus fruits for the purpose Of as
pertaining whether there is any mis-
branded or artifcially colored fruit.
the immature fruit law
and the general pure food law to-
yether, it is my opinion that your de-
Dartment is authorized to make in
;pection of alleged green fruits and
make such reports thereon TO the
proper police and law officers as may
be required by law Under the i'm
nature fruit law however, the ae-
ion of your department would, per-
laps, for reasons herein stated, be
entitled to no more consideration
han a complaint made by any citi-
zen of the state who may complain
,,d ,1Iopn . violation of said stat |