VEGETABLE GROWERS AND THE TARIFF 



The Ontario Vegetable Growers' Association 

 has definitely decided to have a deputation 

 wait on the tariff commission, when it sits in 

 Toronto, to ask for a change in the tariff on 

 vegetables. The case for the growers will be 

 presented by the Hon. J. W. St. John, M. L. A., 

 and by Mr. A. Campbell, M. P., who will be 

 supported by such well known growers as 

 Messrs. W. A. Emory, of Aldershot, president 

 of the Ontario Vegetable Growers' Association; 

 W. H. Bunting, of St. Catharines ; A. McMeans, 

 of Brantford ; J. L. Hilborn, of Leamington ; 

 a representative of the Toronto Vegetable 

 Growers' Association, and by other leading 

 growers. 



During the past six weeks the secretary of 

 the Ontario association has been in communi- 

 cation with the Departments of Trade and 

 Commerce in Canada and the United States 

 with the object of ascertaining the position of 

 both countries in regard to the tariff. The in- 

 formation gained has been laid before the 

 branch vegetable growers' associations 

 throughout Ontario, each of which has been 

 asked to prepare a statement phowing the 

 changes its members would like to see made in 

 the tariff. A meeting of a special committee, 

 appointed by the president of the Ontario as- 

 sociation, to consider the replies from the 

 branch associations and to adopt a line of ac- 

 tion before the tariff commission, was held re- 

 cently in Hamilton. Those present included 

 Messrs. W. A. Emory, of Aldershot, the presi- 

 dent ; E. J. Mahoney, of Hamilton ; A. Mc- 

 Means, of Brantford ; F. F. Reeves, of Humber 

 Bay, and the secretary of the Ontario associa- 

 tion. The reports from the branch associa- 

 tions throughout the province showed that the 

 growers feel they would have no cause for 



complaint were there free trade between the 

 United States and Canada. As it is, however, 

 the United States tariff is much higher on sev- 

 eral lines of produce than is the Canadian 

 tariff, which is felt to be a great injustice. It 

 was decided, therefore, to make the cry of the 

 association " Free trade or an equal tariff." 



The need for an increased duty on several 

 lines of vegetables, such as asparagus, green 

 beans and watermelons, was realized, but ow- 

 ing to the fact that the number of growers pro- 

 ducing these vegetables is limited, compared 

 with the large number of people who consume 

 Such vegetables, the committee decided that it 

 would be best to ask for an increase in the 

 duty on only those vegetables which are the 

 most largely produced in Canada and on which 

 the United States competition is the most 

 keenly felt. These include cabbages, cucum- 

 bers, celery, onions (dry), potatoes and toma- 

 toes. The duty to be asked for on each of 

 these vegetables was decided on. In no case 

 will it be higher than the United States duty 

 on similar lines of Canadian produce entering 

 the States. In the case of cucumbers and to- 

 matoes it was decided to ask for an ad valorem 

 duty, but to stipulate that in no case will an 

 invoice be accepted if marked, in the case of 

 cucumbers, at less than 2.5 cents a dozen and 

 in the case of tomatoes at one cent a pound. 



It was decided not to ask for a duty which 

 would prevent the importation of these vege- 

 tables into Canada, but which would be enough 

 to prevent their being slaughtered on the Can- 

 adian markets at prices below the cost of pro- 

 duction on this side of the line. The duty to 

 be asked for will not be published until the 

 tariff commission meets. 



THE FRUIT SHIPMENTS TO WINNIPEG 



The shipments of fruit to Winnipeg made by 

 a few of the members of the St. Catharines 

 Cold Storage Co. are still going forward at date 

 of writing, October 25, at the rate of two cars 

 per week, but they will end by the last of the 

 month. The detailed statements of individual 

 sales are not to hand for a number of the last 

 cars, but the prices the fruit sold for are re- 

 ceived twice a week by wire. The shippers 

 have sifted down to about eight, who have 

 stuck to their guns and have unbounded faith 

 in the final result. Details will have to be held 

 over until next month— but the shippers are 

 unanimous in expressing the opinion that only 

 cooperative associations can successfully hope 

 to compete in the Winnipeg market. 



Were the small shippers who forwarded fruit 

 in the early cars without experience 

 asked as to their opinion and the prices they 

 received they would be very apt to say that the 

 Winnipeg dealers are a set of thieves, but 

 those who have stayed by the shipments 

 throughout say imhesitatingly that the prices 

 obtained are iDctter on the whole than -.lose 

 paid on the Ontario markets, and so they 

 should be, as more pains in packing are neces- 



sary, as well as in selecting the fruit. The 

 point they feel the most satisfied over is often 

 overlooked by the ordinary shipper, and that 

 is that the 30 carloads of fruit were kept off 

 our own markets and thus helped to stiffen 

 prices instead of to depress the Ontario market. 

 At the beginning of the season two or three 

 of the shippers commenced to wrap and box 

 their pears. They have kept it up and are 

 now sending from 100 to 250 boxes in each car. 

 These boxes are packed equal to the best Cali- 

 fornias, and what is more satisfactory the 

 prices received have paid the shippers well for 

 their time and trouble. The boxes used are 

 the American and British Columbia pear boxes 

 holding 40 or 42 pounds of pears net. or 45 to 

 47 pounds gross. This box can he packed 

 much better and more easily than the half case. 

 The cost of. wrapping and paper costs about 10 

 cents per box. The Ontario cars are now be- 

 ing looked for on sale days in Winnipeg, and 

 the class of buyers is improving. The Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture at Ottawa has been plac- 

 ing thermographs in the majority of the cars, 

 and the records, with two exceptions, have 

 been very satisfactory. In the case of the ex- 



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