The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-10-17
EMP[E'S IORR|D TALK
Manager of Florida Citrus Exchange
Lambasts the Spectators and the
Banks which Loan Them Money
(Tampa Times, 16th)


operations of the shipper Of green fruit
are equally guilty of disloyalty to the
state with the man who ships the fruit
General Manager w. c. Temple of the
citrus exchange today.
Mr.. Temples "wallop" at the banks
was brought about by two things.
No. ! was the fact that shippers of
green fruit are now preparing to op-
crate In no less than six Florida towns.
No. was the near-fullfllment of
his prediction that grapefruit would
sell at 81 a box in New York before
Thanksgiving. due to premature ship
ping.
bankers shouldn't Help Green Fruit
Men
." consider that the bank which
finances the shipper of green fruit is
equally as much to blame as the ship
per himself" said Mr.. Temple. "Any
bank that lends Its resources to the
perpetuation of this unholy traffic Is
directly lending its aid to the destruc-
tion of the industry that made Florida
famous. Without the active aid OF the
banks that finance these fellows their
action would he Impossible. And here
is the unfortunate part OF 1t. In most
eases the banks giving this assistance
to the destruction and decentralization
of the states chief Industry are doing
1t with the money OF the growers
whose business they are doing their
best to ruin. In my opinion 1T is about
time for the agricultural interests of
the state to refuse to do business with
banks that are engaged in operations
of this sort"
Mr. Temple exonerated the grower
| from the greater part of the blame for
the shipping of immature fruit.
BIames the "Cussed, Spectators
"It is the cussed spectators" said
Temple-he is at times a most force
full party.
"TheY haven't a dollars worth of in
| terest in the state in most cases and
wouldn't give a tinkers dam IL they
ruined the states chief industry so
| they could make a few dollars doing 1t.
| If the orange business went to the bad
they would simply pack up their tents
and move TO other pastures. There
would be no loss for them. 1t is not
SO with the growers nor is it so with
the bankers either. Suppose the orange
! business were to be wiped out? 1 ven-
ture to say that 20 per cent or more of
the banks in the orange belt would be
wiped out with it,
"Why they should foster a business
that is against the hest interests of
the state is more than ! can see, but
| foster it they do instead of taking the
wise ground that 1t would be far bet
| ter for them. In the end to help build
up the state instead of engaging In
operations that tend to tear 1t down"
| Today inspectors were watching
shippers who are getting green fruit
in readiness to ship at Orlando, Area
dia. wauchula, Plant City, Leesbure
and Frostproof. The green fruit Is In
the packing houses and indications are
that the owners are getting ready te
ship. IL they do, arrests will be made
and cases for the violation of the greer
fruit law will be taken up at once un.
der the direction of Judge c. B. Park.
hill of this city, who has been espe
cially retained by the citrus exchange
to fight these cases.
There's to be a case for every car
too" said Mr. Temple. at won't sim
ply be one case and then let them g,
ahead and ship the stuff. Not much
We're going to try and make 1t inter
esting for them"
Mr.. Temple said in most cases tn,
fruit being watched does not come vi
to the acid standard, to say nothing o
the content of sugar.
1t was purely because of the fulfill
ment of his prophecy made in tn
Times some time ago that green frui
shipments would demoralize the mar
ket that Mr.. Temple was glad to se
(,
J New York for fruit within the last few
days,
Some time ago Mr.. Temple predicte,
; in an interview In this paper tha
I. grapefruit would be selling at a dolla
a box In New York before Thanksgiv
ing unless the threatened rush on Oc
: tober 1 was held on.
Grapefruit Sold at s1.25
Friday several shipments sold de
livered In New York for s1.35 a box.
said. Mr.. Temple, adding-"and It's
long ways to Thanksgiving. too"
Several hundred cars Of green grape
fruit have been shipped since the nrs
of the month. The fruit brought 5
and 81 a box, but the fruit was gree
and not fit to eat and the market wa
glutted at once. The result is tina
cars pile up and the price falls.
1t costs about $40 to lay a box G
fruit down in New York, to say moth
ing OF the cost of growing. which
. fully so cents a box more. The grow
ers who sold at s1.25 paid fifteen cent
cash out of their pockets for the
pleasure.
1t has happened just as Mr.. Tempt
predicted would be the case. He
pleased to see his fame as a prophs
T enhanced but sorry to see the marks
J go to pieces so badly. 1t will be som
time before it will recover. and all be
> cause Of the foolish work of a fe
growers, a few bankers and a fe