The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-21
Lemons May Be Free.

Lemons May ne
Washington. January a--tree lem
ons or al least a 80 per cent cut in the
present duty of one and one-half feh's
a nound. assumed shape to-day as part
of the Democratic tariff revision poiicy
of the coming extra session oil Ooh-
gress. r .ha
Committee on Ways and Means at
three sessions to-day and to-nisht,
while under the general subject OF the
s0ricultural schedule OF the fayhe-
Aldrich law, bore on citrus products
The Cirtus Protective League OF
California and the Fruit Growers "a
change. which Chairman lnder"cou'
Of the committee, insisted was the sell
mo agency for producers. contended
for retention of the present duty on its
nroducts. The spokesman Tor these
interests was q. H. Powell. OF Los
Angeles. formerly acting chief OF the
Bureau of Plant Industry
Demands Its Elimination.
The New York Fruit Exchange,
comnrisinp iobbers importers, commis-
sion merchants and brokers, demanueo
elimination OF the lemon tarih. us
spokesman. Eugene M travis, Oh 80
Work called the California industry
trust that had abnormal pronts ana
declared it was beneficiary OF UNDUE
,avat;on on a household necessity
democratic Leader L Underwood favors
nutting lemons on the free list, wnile
some members of the committee were
figuring to-day on three-quarters OF
cent per pound as d fair compromise
MIR. Powell urged that lemons remain
at one and one-half cents d pound duty,
and on oranges. lines, grape IIuits
shaddocks and pomelos at one cent.
He said there were twelve lemons per
capita consumed in this country an
annually nd that the present tarin
ievvamounted to three and one
bslf or four cents per capita
tar He said the California grow
ers got their lowest prices between
the Alleghenies and the seaDoarc "he'e
the competition was the nercest ana the
highest west of the Missouri river
where they commanded the market
tIa insisted that tariff reduction would
lead to Italian monopohstic cohtIoi
of the American lemon market
Attempts to Hold Prices
..vour organization attempts to hold
prices for the California growers:
asked Mr. Underwood
YES: to get all they can. said Mi
Powell.
ship esewhere?
Yes
and YOU mean to say you go into
..Tbere is competition in the different
GRADES of lemons" MIR. Powell repileo
Nr Underwood insisted on knowing
if IL was not the organization purpose
20 maintain and regulate prices Tor the
benefit of producers IN its organic .cn.
,T-be witness would only concede that
IL was only to aid the producers, that
the exchange did not attempt 70 nx
nrices and that the products were SOLO
in %cw York and elsewhere at pubic
auction
Isn't all this rnonopolistic?" finally
asked Mr.. L Underwood. mic o.
s,\Ot a. all there y Tree cothPt'i"'OH'
sai% ir travis testified that the New
YORK Fruit Exchanges view was thst
the lemon industry no longer neeos
,rotccticrs. and h.. pointed TO the open
Ing Of the Panama Canal as meaning
lowering OF the freight cost on lemons
Reasonable Revenue Wanted
what we want 20 do in arranging
this tariff" said Democratic Leader
Irndc~wood a. .he night session. u
% cot q reasona bic amount OF importa-
;ions so that We may get a reasonable
amount Of revenue. IL n 80 especially
IN regard 10 the oranges. Reasonable
revenue IL what We expect from the
duty. You must take that portion OF
tho competition. 7 expect my people
snd steel 10 take reasonable compcti-
tor. 7 also expect others TO stand
reasonable competition
We are going 20 put on the free U.s.
some real necessities OF life. The tarif
now looks like mountain range with
high peaks and low valleys.
Mr. Underwood was replying 20
w. {. Temple. OF Tampa. Fla. WHO
aid he had quarter OF million
dollars invested IN citrus fruits and who
protected on behalf Of Florida fruit
g-owersl against any change IN citrus
fruit tariffs
y do not think that you get a com
native tariff rate" Mr.. Underwood
continued. IT y prohioitive. not
competitive"
4 In support 81 bis statement the ma
ioritv leader quoted statistics showing
an enormous drop in the importation Of
oranges.
} X. Cousstock. Of Chicago. prcei-
dent Of the Cuban Development Com
pahy. advocated reduction or the
tariff on grapefruit. L. p. skinner.
OF FLORIDA. urged that the present rate