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PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



East of Ogden the Rio Grande-Pueblo route, recognizing the conditions under which 

 the traffic moves, will aim to meet the time of the Council Bluffs route indicated in the 

 foregoing. 



Shipments for St. Paul and Minneapolis on the one hand, and St. Louis on the other, 

 will be handled from point of divergence on the scheduled trains of the line handling 

 the fruit from the Missouri River. 



East of Chicago lines will handle as heretofore, the Erie Railroad Company notifying 

 us that their high-class freight train, which carries the fruit, leaves Chicago in the after- 

 noon, but reaches New York on or about 4:30 a. m. third morning, Philadelphia 

 6:30 a. m. third morning, Boston 4 a. m. fourth morning out from Chicago. 



You are aware that the standard for fast trains carrying perishable freight from 

 Chicago to New York is about 60 hours. Lines east of Chicago point out that to speed 

 up their trains in this business would not mend matters, as the fruit would arrive either 

 in the afternoon, Or the early night hours prior to present arrival, and from either the 

 shippers would derive no benefit as compared with present deliveries ; further than this, 

 the way is not clear to handling California fruit on faster schedule time than the perish- 

 able freight local to their own lines. 



I trust that you will concur that the foregoing indicates that the expressions given 

 your Convention of intention to go into this matter carefully, and endeavoring to meet 

 the needs of the fruit-growers as expressed in that Convention, have not been lost sight 

 of, but, on the contrary, are being fulfilled. We trust that the results during the season 

 about to open will bring profit to the fruit-growers and renewed friendly relations with 

 the carriers. 



Will you kindly acknowledge receipt? 



Yours truly, 



Wm. Speoule. 



We believe that the readoption of this time-schedule by the railroads, and its strict 

 enforcement by them, would go far and do much to place fruit-growing in California 

 upon a sound, paying basis. Such a time-schedule we believe would go far toward 

 remedying an evil that has done much to retard the development of our horticultural 

 interests, to wit: the fluctuations in prices for California fruit in Eastern markets. 



When shipments that are sent out three and four days later than others consigned to 

 the same place arrive and are sold at the same time, an over-supply is the result, which 

 is not all, for the delayed fruit arrives in an impaired condition and brings a low and 

 losing price, which price goes far toward fixing the price for the more sound and perfect 

 fruit. 



If this season's shipments that arrived in a decayed condition and were sold at a loss of 

 from $200 to $400 a car could be eliminated from the total shipments for the season, a 

 much better showing would be made in favor of our fruit interests, which, as a whole, 

 is good, but unnecessarily impaired for the reasons above given. 



In conclusion, permit us to say that there is no desire on our part to criticise the 

 transportation companies for their unusually poor service given to fruit shipments this 

 season, but, on rhe contrary, we wish to call the attention of the railroad officials to the 

 evils existing in the present methods of transportation regarding fruit shipments, with 

 the end in view and the hope that the fruit-growers of California and the officials of the 

 transportation companies may get together and act in a spirit of amity and friendliness 

 and adjust any and all differences of opinion that may exist in their minds as to what 

 is best and should be done to promote and build up the fruit industry of California, and 

 incidentally the interests of the whole State. 



R. D. STEPHENS, Chairman. 

 ALEX. GORDON. 

 A. N. JUDD. 



MR. STEPHENS. Now, Mr. Chairman, I move that that report be 

 adopted, in order to bring it before this Convention if anybody desires 

 to discuss it, and also that copies be sent to the different transportation 



