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



SUBSEQUENT ACTION BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION. 

 Statement of Facts from the Fruit-Growers to the Transportation Companies. 



The Committee on Transportation beg leave to submit the following in support of 

 the action taken by the growers in convention assembled : 



The above shows the action taken by the fruit-growers of the State at their annual 

 convention held in San Francisco December 3-6, 1901. 



They are irrevocably opposed to the private ownership and control of the cars in 

 which their products are shipped to Eastern markets. 



They feel that the time has come when they should he relieved from paying heavy 

 tribute to this, the ivorst of all monopolies. 



There are no insect pests or blights so damaging to the fruit interest of California as 

 this control. 



Its power is so great as to subordinate all other interests, and when combined with 

 the marketing, is absolute. 



There is no power that can prevent such combination so long as private cars have the 

 monopoly of carrying our fruit, with a tariff that brings in such an enormous profit as does 

 the present tariff for refrigeration, for the reason that the large frait companies are cor- 

 porations, and there is no law through which the transfer and control of the stock of such 

 corporations can be prevented. 



This fact is mentioned for the reason that the railroad companies claim to be opposed 

 to a combination of such a character, and we desire to show that the only way to pre- 

 vent it is, not to enter into a contract with the Armour Company, or any other car line, 

 for the reason that it would be easy for the car line with which the contract is made to 

 soon gain control of a fruit marketing company by having a majority of the stock 

 transferred to it, or have it held in trust subject to its wishes. 



All the growers ask is to be put on equal terms with the refrigerator companies. 



They do not ask for a greater per cent of profit upon the capital they have invested 

 than that received by the car lines for the capital they have invested. 



Refrigeration has been the bane of the fruit-growers of California. 



It has done more to retard the progress and prosperity of this State than all other things 

 combined, for the reason that it possesses the power to almost wholly, if not quite, con- 

 trol the marketing of its fruit products. 



While it has been doing this for California, it has been utilized to build up strong and 

 powerful competition in Oregon and Washington. 



We are credibly informed that the charges for refrigeration from these States to the 

 Atlantic seaboard are but from |10 to $17 per car. In some instances a higher rate is 

 charged, but it is claimed that in such cases a corresponding reduction is made in the 

 way of a rebate. 



This explains why the fruit from Oregon and Washington' can be sold in Eastern 

 markets, in competition with California fruit, at a much lower price, and yet bring a good 

 profit to the grower. 



This has resulted in not only rapidly increasing and multiplying fruit shipments 

 from Oregon and Washington, but also in building up competition that otherwise never 

 could have existed. 



Now that we have to meet this competition, all we ask is to be put on an equality 

 with the growers of Oregon and Washington. 



This can be done by the adoption of any of the following remedies : 



First — The ownership and control of refrigerator cars by the railroads themselves. 



Second — The granting of the right by the railroads to all refrigerator car lines of equal 

 rights and privileges, to enter into competition for the business, with a reduction in 

 charges to an amount that will prohibit the giving of rebates. 



Under no circumstances should a contract be made with any cbmpany for a longer 

 period than one year, and that, too, with a distinct understanding that a very material 

 reduction should be made in the rates now prevailing. 



The growers of California should be placed upon an equal footing with the growers 

 of Oregon and Washington. 



