452 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



the Japanese and Chinese refuse to continue working under such con- 

 tracts, with the result that many who have rented their vineyards and 

 orchards will find themselves burdened with the responsibility of pay- 

 ing all costs of growing and marketing the products of their holdings, 

 which, in many instances, will mean a loss to them if they try the 

 experiment, and if they do not, then the conversion of their interests 

 along other lines. 



The Work and Its Cost 



That you may have some knowledge as to the amount of work done 

 by your Committee on Transportation, I will briefly refer to some of 

 the many things we have done during the period we have served as 

 members of the committee — since 1907, five years. 



We made 125 copies of all letters and other matters sent to San Fran- 

 cisco traffic managers, and sent 87 of them to the officials of all the 

 railroads that participate in the hauling of California fresh fruit ship- 

 ments to eastern destinations. These copies were sent to presidents, 

 vice-presidents, traffic managers, assistant traffic managers, and other 

 prominent officials of these roads, and the balance of the 125 copies 

 were distributed among prominent men of influence who might have 

 influence with railroad officials. All this was done for the purpose of 

 giving the managements of the roads an opportunity of learning the 

 facts in regard to the conditions of the deciduous fruit industry of the 

 State and the wants of the growers. 



Some of our Annual Reports cost over $300, and yet our committee 

 never asked for financial support. While the aggregate cost of the work 

 done by our committee runs well into four figures, we have never asked 

 for contributions from the growers. 



Ask the Railroad Officials 



If anybody thinks that we have "slept while on duty" let them ask 

 the railroad officials, whom we count among our personal friends and 

 who know better than any one else that we have been right in our 

 contentions. 



Realizing that the question of transportation, in its many phases, is 

 the most important to those who have their capital invested in the 

 production of shipping varieties of fruit, we deemed it necessary to 

 print in pamphlet form the record of the proceedings of our committee 

 since our last report made, one year ago, that you may have the oppor- 

 tunity of becoming informed as to what has already been done, and 

 what it Avill be your duty to do to safeguard and protect your property 

 interests from possible financial ruin. 



Mr. Stephens. I wish to call your attention to the evidence that we 

 are going to submit to the Railroad Commission, for reasons that we 

 feel are good and sufficient, and that this minimum should be reduced. 

 There are some twenty-five or thirty illustrations given in the report 

 showing the difference between the upper and lower tiers of values. For 

 instance, the lower tier in one case sold at $650, average price, more 



