Imperial Valley press., 1920-04-13
AL0UPES-
!: In !: N THREE IN v WEEKS 4
Continued from page ~


may require. Inasmuch as the labor
supply will depend to great extent
on the success with the Japanese
Farmers Association has in inducing
the orientals to come to the valley and
there were certain distressing
features last year in connection with
the influx, no one knows just what
is going to happen.
Last year it will be remembered q
large number of orientals came here
] Irom points north and then accord
ing to federal government agents,
there was an illegal influx from
across the line, with the result that
all who could not prove their right to
be in the United States were bundled
up and deported. The favorite plan
then was for the Japanese to cross
the line and work with their brethren,
in this manner escaping detection.
Il Good Japanese harvesters will
make as high as $40 daily and the
lure of big wages attracts them from
far and near.
The third question which is at
tracing attention from both the
shippers and the Southern Pacific
railway is the refrigerator car
question. From estimates now in
the hands of the railroad officials it
is estimated that there will be needed
during the 60 days commencing May
Is, a grand total of 10000 to 11,0O0
refrigerator carloads. This will be
! larger than last years total by 5000
cars.
TRIP AND A HALF
AS the statistics show that it is
possible for a 'reefer' to make on an
average not quite two round trips
from the Imperial Valley to the East
during the shipping season, it will be
seen that the Southern Pacific and
allied railroads will need in the neigh
borhood of 5000 distinct and individ-
ual cars. Where these cars are
coming from remains to be seen but
in years heretofore the Southern Pa
cific has always given the best of
service and it is not unreasonable to
suppose that every precaution is being
made this year.
These cars are now being gathered
from all sections Of the United States:
Although there was a shortage OF
REFERS at one time during the lettuce
season which has just closed, it is not
thought that this shortage will extend
to the cantaloupe season for several
reasons. In the first place, statistics
have shown that the season when
Imperial Valley cantaloupes leave IN
greatest quantities, the demand Tor
the REFERS for other crops in the
least. This is particularly true OF
Southern CALIFORNIA; great orange
and citrus crop which is just out OF
the way when Imperial Valley canta-
loupes begin to ripen in earnest. Ihls
means that the thousands of cars
which have been used to transport
the citrus crop can be turned over to
the cantaloupe distributors.
SOME CARS LEFT
This is likewise true of the Florida
crop and the lettuce and early straw
berry crops in Texas and Louisiana.
These cars are Immediately rushed
west and average their round trip
and three quarters to the east.
A great many ears which were to
have been used in the lettuce crop,
but which were left over at the last
minute, are now on the various side
tracks in the valley and these are to
be kept here for the cantaloupe crop.
The Southern Pacific is spending
Hundreds of thousands of dollars IN
various valley tOwnsy particularly
Brawley increasing its trackage IA
cilities and is prepared as it never
was before to properly handle an
immense crop. =,
II is about this time that the stray
refrigerator cars all the way from
the Mississippi to the northwest
commence to wander towards the I'M
perial Valley. These cars come IN Dy
two and threes7 and sometimes as
many as dozen all located on some
side track between Banning and
Yuma, Arizona, or in the. lmper1ai
Valley proper. Facilities for side
tracking thousands of cars between
these points are available and 1t IS
no uncommon sight as the cantaloup,e
season draws near to ride past mile
after mile of cars, waiting for the
cantaloupes to ripen.
ICED AT COTTON
Occasionally these cars are storeo
as far north as Nevada on the tracks
of the Salt Lake route. Large
numbers are also stored in the vlcin'
itv of Cotton where the gigantic icing
plants of the railroad are located
During the height Of the. season y
is impossible to properly ice an I'm, tnt
cars in the valley because OF the lac, 1
that the storage plants have not Tn, a'
capacity for the tremendous number
of cars and these are first iced a
Cotton and then brought into th'
valley over night. Trains OF =
/ hundred or more are brought II
!. during the wee small hours and lei
; at the loading sidings for the luscious
fruit the next day. Many times thes'
trains are given right OF way owe
: passenger trains. go
r Last years peak load was 349 cars
: This year it is predicted that TN
: total will pass the 400 car mark o.
1 several days. Last year the 3oo ca
e day tested the capacity OF TN
S Southern Pacific to digest freight Du
: this year the company is counting OF
t the new San Diego & Arizona I'm
e through Mexico to relieve the man
I INLAND line of portion OF the burden
During the last year tins neS
trackage has been relaid with heav.