The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-04-29
Member Of The Associated Press.
GRAPEFRUIT so CENTS PER GRAPE

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Ever since grapefruit came into popular use in
the United States and Canada, efforts have been
made by Florida shippers and packers 10 secure
from hotels and dining cars honest treatment for
the grapefruit by making an honest charge. it was
Vice President James f. lngraham CT the Flager
System who, several years ago, started a campaign
that resulted in the lowering of the price charged
for this fruit en- dining cars operated between New
York and Florida. On one of his trips north Mr..
Ingraham was charged either 80 or IS cents for
half grapefruit at a time when the price to the
grower was somewhere around one dollar box
the trees. MIR. lngrahams experience was shortly
followed by a revised charge. revised downward
to cents per half portion still abnormally high,
but somewhere within reason. In recent years an
agitation has been carried en- III Florida cities to
induce hotels to serve grapefruit either absolutely
free OF at very nominal price, say FIVE cents for
half portion. In several hotels this plan has been
adopted with beneficial results and where this has
been done, the hotel men have been quick TO gel
cooperation from the Citrus Exchange and from
the growers themselves.
This matter is discussed in an interesting man
ner by the Miami Herald, which newspaper calls
attention to a story appearing a few days ago
in the New York Tribune 10 Ike effect that in
some of the big New York restaurants, The price
opposite the name Grapefruit On The menu cards
was 40 cents per half portion. Eighty cents each
for grapefruit would create Polk county growers
mlionares over night and turn Polk into VERT
able gold mine. But 1t is a far cry from the grove
price to the Gotham restaurant; somewhere be-
tween the two points imitation has taken place to
an alarming degree This is the comment of The
Herald on the 60-cent phase of the situation:
This makes grapefruit in New York eighty
cents per EACH which would seem 10 indicate ,hat
somebody somewhere along The line, is making
a neat profit over the amount that is received by the
joyous producer OF the golden slobules of delight
Since the facts they are there seems noth-
ing to do but blame it on the middleman.
IF the particular midd.eman in this case could
be located, it might be Illuminating, however
There ought to be some way to bring the middle
mans profit in part at least, back to the end
man. But if you take ii all away from him. or
even considerable part CT it, he might take no
ton to cease being a middeman, and the grove.
would be left with the bag to hold. And that's
that.
1t is quite probable, of course that most Of the
grapefruit that lands in Gotham town does net
bring in eighty cents each. The reason for the
excrbitant price quoted by the Tribune is that
there is a class of people who get their chief de-
light in life out of paying for anything two or three
times what it is worth. These are the people who
are ordering halfportions of grapefruit for forty
cents and handing the waiter a tip in addition.
Grapefruit. or any ether product shipped into
the big city through the efforts of the middleman,
is bound 10 bring a price from the ultimate con-
sumner that seems cut of proportion to that re-
ceived by the original producer. If there is any way
TO avoid this it has never yet been put into practical
operation. f
When four or FIVE grapefruit are sold fifteen
hundred miles from the point of production for as
much as a whole bcx brings to the original ship
per, there is something wrong. The middleman who
makes the big profit is not going to do anything
about it. The Ultimate consumer cannot do any
thing except to stop buying and when he does that
it is the grower who usually feels the full effect
Of his act The cure for the condition probably
rests ultimately on the producer
Radio may radiate sweetness and light, but up
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