PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 101 



bill. Other highly modified forms have a bill as heavy and as capable 

 of cracking nuts or tearing fruits as the bill of a parrot. These are 

 adapted to the tough fruit of the leie-vine. Of each of these styles of 

 bill there are numerous species, each island having some. The 

 exceedinoj uniformity of the birds in other respects shows that they are 

 variations of one common stock adapted to special conditions of food or 

 special need in life. The relations of these birds have been worked out 

 by Mr. Henry W. Henshaw, a distinguished naturalist living at Hilo. 



MR. AIKEN. I move you, sir, that the sincere thanks of this Con- 

 vention be extended to Professors Wheeler and Jordan for their able 

 and interesting presentation of these subjects to the fruit-growers, and 

 for the honor of their presence on this occasion. 



Motion carried by a rising vote. 



EEPOET OF THE COMMITTEE ON TEANSPOETATION. 



Mr. R. D. Stephens, chairman of the Committee on Transportation, 

 submitted the following report: 



♦ Mr. President^ Ladies and Gentlemen: 



Your Committee on Transportatioii beg leave to make the following report : 



There can be no doubt that the improved service given to green deciduous fruit ship- 

 ments this year by the Southern Pacific Company, and its connections, was of great 

 benefit to the fruit-growers of California. The time occupied in transit being materially 

 reduced, greatly aided distribution, and, by doing so, increased consumption. This has 

 resulted in restoring confidence in the minds of the growers, who are again beginning 

 to believe that fruit-growing in California, and upon a much larger scale than ever 

 before, can be made to pay a fair profit upon the labor and capital invested in its 

 production ; provided, that the time-schedule agreed upon between the railroads and 

 the fruit-growers, in May last,* he ptit into full force and effect by the railroads, the only 

 party to the agreement that has the power to do so, and the elimination from the 

 business of refrigerator cars that are owned and controlled by private interests. 



We believe the private ownership and control of refrigerator cars used for shipment of 

 California fruit to be inimical to the interests of the fruit-growers and shippers, as affording 

 an opportunity for discrimination and favoritism. 



All cars and other transportation facilities should be owned and controlled in every 

 particular by the railroads, and all shippers should have equal facilities and be upon 

 equal terms. 



We, therefore, in this public way, record our earnest protest against the renewal or exten- 

 sion of existing contracts with the refrigerator lines now engaged in this traffic, or the making 

 of any similar contracts with any parties whatsoever. 



We make further objection to the private ownership and control of these refrigerator 

 cars, as having the effect to maintain what we consider excessive refrigeration rates. 



We feel that the Southern Pacific Company, and the other roads that are engaged in 

 carrying California fruits, are entitled to the thanks of the fruit-growers of the State, for 

 their efforts to give an improved and adequate service in the transportation of our fruit, 

 and we therefore suggest that a vote of thanks be tendered them by this Convention for 

 what they have already done in the way of an improved service, thxis showing that the 

 fruit-growers of California realize and fully appreciate what has been done in their interests. 



Respectfully submitted. 



R. D. STEPHENS, Chairman. 



*See copy of Wm. Sproule's letter of May 21, 1901, in Appendix. 



