The Fruit Men Meet tKe Government 



THAT was a most interesting scene which 

 greeted the visitor to the Privy Council 

 Chamber, when on the 23rd ult. Sir Wilfrid 

 Lauricr and his cabinet met the large dele- 

 gation from the Fruit Growers' Convention, 

 which had been appointed to carry the resolu- 

 tion relative to tlie express companies before 

 the Government. The committee, whose names 

 will be foimd to the memorial below, was en- 

 forced by 20 or 30 other delegates and mem- 

 bers of Parliament. All were ushered into the 

 Premier's presence by his secretary, and Hon. 

 Mr. Fisher who was to introduce them to him, 

 being delayed a moment in his office, the in- 

 troduction was made by the chairman, Rev. 

 Father Burke, of P.E.I., who is well known to 

 Sir Wilfrid, and well acquainted with every 

 member present. Chairs as far as they could 

 be secured having been taken. Father Burke 

 said he was pleased to introduce this important 

 delegation. It had come to make the very 

 moderate demand that express companies be 

 subject to the Railway Commission, so that 

 redress might be had when injustices were in- 

 flicted. In his country they had only one 

 company so far, the Canadian Express Com- 

 pany. He hoped for the admission of others 

 in the interest of improved rates. He read the 

 memorial prepared by a sub-committee com- 

 posed of Messrs. Bunting, Smith and Johnson, 

 and approved by all, and called on gentlemen 

 from the different provinces to express their 

 views. 



The memorial was as follows: 



To the Rt. Honourable Sir Wilfrid Laurier, 

 Prime Minister of Canada, and Honourable 

 members of the Government: 



Honourable Gentlemen, — We, the Com- 

 mittee appointed by the Conference of Domin- 

 ion Fruit Growers, assembled at Ottawa, at the 

 request of the Honourable Minister of Agricul- 

 ture, for the purpose of considering questions of 

 national importance relating to the fruit in- 

 dustry of Canada, desire, under instruction 

 from the Conference, to lay before you a me- 

 morial which has for its object the enactment of 

 legislation bv your Government that will, we 

 believe, be of great advantage to the fruit grow- 

 ers of the various provinces, as well as to the 

 public at large. 



There is a large area of the very best land of 

 the Dominion devoted to the growth and pro- 

 duction of fruit; and, inasmuch as fruit is a 

 perishable article, it is of the very greatest im- 

 portance that it be placed in the hands of the 

 consumer with the utmost possible despatch, 

 and under the very best conditions. In order 

 to do this successfully, the express companies 

 operating over the railroads of Canada are 

 made use of to a very large extent. It has 

 been found that there are many difficulties 

 in the way of making the best use of this ser- 

 vice, one of the chief of which isthe high rates 

 charged for transporting fruit in this manner. 

 Relief has been sought from time to time from 

 the companies directly, and with very poor 

 success. 



Inasmuch as your Government in its wisdom 

 has instituted a Board of Railway Commis- 

 sioners for the purpose of adjusting matters of 

 difference relating to the question of transport- 

 ation, and ina.smuch as the express companies 

 operating in Canada have not as yet been placed 

 under the control of the Railway Commission, 

 we desire to make an urgent request that such 

 legislation be enacted at this .session of Parlia- 

 ment as will result in bringing the express 

 companies under such control, thus providing 

 a speedv and effective means whereby differ- 

 ences arising between these companies and the 

 general public may be adju.sted properly. 



And as in duty bound your petitioners will 

 ever pray. 



A. F. Burke, chairman; Martin Burrell, Wm. 

 H. Buiiting, D. Johnson, Ralph S. Eaton, J. E. 



Armstrong, M<P.; A. A. Mclnfyre, MP.; J. T. 

 Schell, M.P., committee. 



Mr. D. Johnson, of Forest, Ont., detailed the 

 disadvantages the fruit interest and other in- 

 terests labored under, and asked for relief. W. 

 H. Bunting, of St. Catharines, stated that On- 

 tario was united in this demand, and cited cases 

 of very great hardships from overcharge and 

 defective delivery. W. L. Smith, of the Weekly 

 Sun, wanted the legislation now, as the case 

 was one of long standing, and the patience of 

 the people was sorely tried. R. S. Eaton spoke 

 for Nova Scotia, where three companies oper- 

 ated, and a through rate was not obtainable, 

 to the detriment of trade generally, and the 

 total undoing of the small fruits trade. Mr. 

 Burrell, of B.C., made a strong plea for the mat- 

 ter of the memorial, showing how the railways 

 and express companies were banded together, 

 and the necessity of a court of appeal in the case 

 of the latter thus made all the more urgent. 



In reply Sir Wilfrid said that he was delighted 

 to meet this important delegation. He did not 

 know why the express companies were not 

 subjected to the Railway Commission in the 

 original bill. There must have been sonic 

 reason. However, the delegation had made 

 out a. good case and had his sympathy. He 

 would not like to promise legislation, however, 

 at this session; he wanted it to be short. The 

 memorial would not be forgotten, and in one 

 thing at least he would assure immediate ac- 

 tion; he would notify the companies of the 

 complaint and represent to them the cases of 

 over-exaction cited. More than this it was not 

 necessary to say, except that he was in thor- 

 ough sympathy with the delegation, and hope- 

 ful of helping it. Rev. Father Burke then 

 thanked the premier for receiving them so cor- 

 dially, and giving them so reassuring a reply- 

 All retired satisfied that good work had been 

 done. 



Prince Cd-ward Island Letter 



Rev. Father A. E. DvirKe 



NOW that we know just where Canadian 

 horticulture is at, after conferTin<r to- 

 gether in the best of feeling at Ottawa, 

 and comparing notes in all the operations 

 for wliirb the name .stands, it behooves us to get 

 to work in our respective provinces and keep up 

 with, if we cannot really get ahead of, the pro- 

 cession. We are happy down here by the sea 

 (although nothing boastful shall as much as 

 suggest itself to us) in the reflection that after 

 all, about everything we contended for came our 

 way. 



It is really remarkable how uniform the 

 horticultural mind of Canada is after all. Who- 

 ever thought of reaching a grade decision without 

 a dissenting voice? Who could imagine a vote 

 in a national council on the barrel package with 

 only two or three nays? The whole thing is 

 rather too Utopian to be classed among the 

 actual. And still this same unanimity will 

 greatly help the work we have in hand. 



To tell the truth, we would just as soon have 

 seen the grades made Nos. one, two, and three, 

 No. one being perfect, as now we have "Fancy" 

 but this classification seemed to please better, 

 and we had to stand together. A No. one Can- 

 adian apple should be perfect. It will come to 

 that some day. At any rate it is well to have a 

 perfect fruit somehow, so that a purchaser of 

 prime fruit, paying the highest price, at home or 

 abroad, may have what he bargains for or get 

 redress easily. 



As I said, we were putting our No. ones up 

 here as perfectly as the fancy grade. The small 

 consignment of Senator Ferguson's apples, 

 mention of which I made the opening day of 

 the convention, is in a line with this statement 

 I mav as well give the document here which W. 

 W. Moore, Chief of the Markets Division, had 

 just out in the owner's hands. It is as follows : 



"Yesterday I received a report from Mr. 

 Davis, our inspector at London, on the apples 

 landed by the SS. 'Montezuma' which arrived 

 at London from Halifax on February 16. In the 

 course of his report he makes the following ref- 

 erence to vour shipment: 'D. Ferguson, P.E.I., 

 136 bbls. Ben Davis. This parcel was the best 

 example of honest packing that I have seen. 

 The barrels opened clean, the fruit being free 

 from frost or spot, and the uniformity of putting 

 upthe fruit reflects great credit on the packer.' 

 It isnot very often that I have the pleasure of 

 reading such a gratifying report on Canadian 

 apples, and I sincerely trust that the returns for 

 this highly creditable shipment will be entirely 

 satisfactory to you." 



Before long this will be the rule not the ex- 

 ception, and the Market* Chief will cease to 



marvel when a P.E.I, shipment reaches Ijyndon 

 in such prime condition. By the preaching of 

 the profession at Ottawa, and surely it will prac- 

 tise what it preaches, one may well look for a 

 strict and generous conformity to the grading 

 proposed. Uniform packing of uniform frtiit 

 in a uniform package should carry Canada as 

 an apple producer proudly before the world. 



We were personally acquainted with many of 

 the delegates to Ottawa, and knew the rest by 

 reputation. It was a great pleasure to work 

 with such a school of patriots, whose singleness 

 of purpose, high ideals, and splendid charity 

 could be but a reflex of the refining influence 

 of the great science they so loyally espouse. 

 Many national gatherings we have attended; 

 this was the'^most lovable — the most practical. 



CROP PROSPECTS 



In this province the fruit trees have suffered 

 no injury that I know of in the past winter. The 

 damage of a previous snow blockade may be more 

 perceptible than after the banks disappeared in 

 190.5, but for the most part there is little injury 

 from this source, where any attempt at repair 

 was made. 



The surprisingly balmy atmosphere of Feb. 

 has not resulted in any injury to the blossom 

 buds, as was anticipated. Even the cherry 

 buds look undamaged. Mice have not got in . 

 any of their work either. Greater care is now 

 taken, and anyway, there appears little trace 

 of them in the still slightly snow -covered comers 

 of our orchards. 



There appears to be a good show of blossom 

 buds; and as last year was an off crop with us, 

 we may, in the ordinary cour.se of events, expect 

 a full crop this season. Back-killing, as all can 

 understand, is noticeable nowhere after so mild 

 a winter. P.E.I trees have come through 

 splendidly and should give a good account of 

 themselves. 



Fruit Trade in Montreal 



' E. H. Wartman, D.F.I. 



The apple is the favorite fruit, but the man 

 of small means in this city can take only a 

 passing glance at some of our varieties. Spy 

 is the leader at 70 cts. a peck, or 40 cts. a doz. 

 However, there is a cheaper class with the 

 taste of apples that can be bought at a more 

 moderate rate. These satisfy those persons 

 who will not resort to other fruits. 



Some in the trade say: "How short-sighted 

 we have been! When we could have bought 

 No. 1 apples at f2.50, we said no." They have 



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