- 15 — 



AFTEBNOOlsr SESSION. 



[Chairman Buck in the chair.] 



TRANSPORTATION AND FREIGHT RATES OF G-REEN AND 



DRIED FRUITS. 



By W. B. Gestbr. 



In order to open a discussion on this subject of Fruit Rates and 

 Transportation, I will state that for the few minutes I occupy the floor, 

 I shall represent the Placer County fruit district. As you all know, 

 this is a district that lies between here and the summit of the Sierra 

 — the principal fruit-growing district, extending from the town of 

 Rocklin to the town of Colfax, and lying immediately adjoining on 

 both sides of the track of the Central Pacific Railroad. The business of 

 these last two years in the shipment of green fruits to the East has not 

 been profitable, and therefore not satisfactory. All of this in spite of 

 what we consider the very great natural advantages that the district 

 has. About the first day of this month the growers of the district 

 were called together at Newcastle. The meeting was a representative 

 one in every respect, and it was there decided to begin the movement 

 which should result, as far as possible, ultimately in securing a reduc- 

 tion of railroad rates on green fruits. In order to expedite matters as 

 far as possible, I will read to the convention here, the set of resolutions 

 passed by that meeting, which represented the district known as the 

 Placer District. The meeting was held on the 1st of November. The 

 growers assembled and presented their views individually, and a com- 

 mittee was appointed to draw up sets of resolutions, which were 

 adopted. Some of the propositions were not acceded to unanimously, 

 but at the same time it was so nearly unanimous that the whole set of 

 resolutions may be said , to have been adopted with unanimity. The 

 resolutions are as follows: 



Whereas, The fruit growers of Placer County find at the close of the fruit-shipping 

 season of 1894 that the gross sale returns received from the fruit shipped by them to 

 Eastern markets over the Southern Pacific System and its connections have not paid 

 them any earnings on their capital invested in lands and trees, and more even than 

 that, have not paid all the charges incident to the growing and shipping of the fruit; 

 and whereas, it is clearly apparent from the decreasing sale price of fresh fruit during 

 the several years last past as production has increased, that the growers cannot expect 

 any higher prices for fruit than obtained this year, and possibly not as high, and there- 

 fore cannot expect a profitable fruit industry again from high sale prices; and whereas, 

 it is also clearly evident that the only chance of again getting the fruit-growing industry 

 of Placer County on a profit-earning basis lies in reducing the cost of growing and 

 shipping the fruit paid by the grower; and whereas, of the several items which make up 

 the total of this cost paid by the producer there are only two— the freight and refriger- 

 ation — which are large enough in amount, absolutely and relatively, in which a sufficient 

 reduction is possible to again make a margin of profit possible to the grower ; 



Now, therefore, be it declared by the fruit growers of Placer County in meeting 

 assembled, that the cost of fruit shipped paid by the grower is at its lowest possible 

 figure in every separate and several item of that cost except the cost of freight and 

 refrigeration fixed and charged by the Southern Pacific Railroad System and its con- 

 nections ; 



And it is further declared that unless the rates of freight and refrigeration charged 

 by the Southern Pacific Company and its connections be largely reduced, commencing 

 with the season of 1895, it will not be profitable to ship Placer County fresh fruits to 

 Eastern markets; now therefore, be it 



Resolved, That it is the purpose of the fruit growers of Placer County to demand of 

 the Southern Pacific Company and its connections to sufficiently lower freight and 

 refrigeration charges to again make the growing of fruit profitable. Failing the obtain- 

 ing of such freight and refrigeration charges, it will become necessary to cease shipping 



