The Punta Gorda herald., 1922-09-15
FLORIDA GETTING WORST
OF IT ON FREIGHT RATES
California Aided by Railroads With
Lower Rates To Competitive
Markets

Florida is grossly Disseminated
against in the matter of freight rates
on citrus fruits, as compared with
the rates granted TO California. ac-
cording to S. J. Sigh of Orlando, one
of the largest growers and shippers
in the state. Despite all of the eff
fort that has been made to prove
that this state is Disseminated
against. little or no relief has result
ed. In discussing the matter, Mr..
Sigh said:
During the war period the blank
ct rate from California to New York
and all eastern points and to Cana
dian points was S1.92 per 100 pounds.
The rate has now been reduced to
$3.50, reduction of about 80 per
cent. California oranges are billed
at seVenty-eight pounds per crate,
and grapefruit. | think, at seventy
two pounds. which makes the rate
on oranges SLY and the rate on
grapefruit about ST.
Our rate from Tampa, for in
stance, to Denver, is about $1.S5 on
grapefruit, and to Pacific slope points,
such as Seattle, where We have
fine market for grapefruit, the rate
is about $2.S5 per box. which is prac-
tically prohibitive.
THE haul is shorter than from
California to the eastern points I
have cited, and if We had the same
rate that California growers have we
could market very large portion of
our crop in that territory.
Appeal has been made to the In
terstate Commerce Commission, to
the officials of the Atlantic Coast Line,
the Southern and the Seaboard by
the Central Florida Traffic League, of
which | am president, but so far with
practically no results. The matter
has also been taken up with the Flor
ida delegation in congress, but they
have not as yet been able to secure
any relief for us.
The rate from the Florida ship
ping territory to the eastern points
] have mentioned, on the same basis
of weight, is about $1.2O, while the
distance from our territory to the
eastern points is about 400 to 1900
miles and the distance from the Cal
ifornia orange districts is $500 to
1000 miles.
Il was told at the recent conven-
tion of apple growers in Seattle that
the trouble is with the southern rail-
roads-that they do not appear to
concern themselves as the western
roads do in promoting the interests
of their fruit and agricultural inter-
ests.
Ten years ago Florida had a very
large grapefruit trade in San Fran
cisco and even in Los Angeles and
other California points, but the grow
ers or that state succeeded in having
a law passed barring our fruit on the
ground that it might introduce dis
ease. or course this was a subter-
fuge-the purpose was to shut out
fruit, which is universally acknowl-
edged as superior to the California
product. | was told recently that if
our state plant board would make the
proper effort this quarantine can be
lifted. Before this law was passed
I shipped an average of forty-two car
loads to San Francisco and four or
five to Los Angeles, and l think this
market would take 600 TO 700 cars.
THE California law is based only
IN petty jealousy. Their shipping
season is from May to November,
while our season would be from No
,ember to April. And as far as cit
us diseases and insect pests are con-
they have all that we have
md more. tool know, because l
lave just returned from very
borough inspection Of their citrus
erritory"