76 



THIRTY-FOURTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' COXVENTION. 



ization which could truthfully nay, as it could at that time, that it rep- 

 resented sixty-nine per cent of the citrus industry of the State, we 

 did create an interest that enforced or assisted in the enforcement of 

 a law by bringing public opinion to that end. The league has ^rown 

 since then. We can now say that eighty per cent of the industry is 

 represented by the Citrus Protective League, and that we are doing 

 some good. (Applause.; I think the other twenty per cent ought to 

 come in. (Applause.) Now. in connection with this white fly matter, 

 I want to say further that they found this State without any available 

 appropriation to eradicate that fly and control that territory. The 

 State did the best it could with what moneys it had. It could whip 

 around the stump and pay its bills for aAvhil'e : and finally. :Mr. Jeffrey 

 came down and he said: ''I have got to stop. We have no money to 

 pay our men who are Avatching the fields in Oroville and ]\[arys\ille 

 and Bakersfield. and we must keep up that control for a year at least. ' ' 

 It w^as the greatest pleasure in my life to turn to the Executive Com- 

 mittee and agree that the Citrus Protective League would take up the 

 vouchers. It is doing some good. 



Now. a word about the tariff. We are not shouting tariff revision 

 on the coast very much, although some of our newspapers are getting 

 away on that subject, but it is possible that a little later they will have 

 to consider that they are representing the people and the fruit growers 

 of the coast. A few years ago we hoisted a free silver banner, and we 

 found out afterwards we meant gold ; and it is possible some of the news- 

 papers in the State who are asking for tariff revision now would be 

 puzzled to point out upon what product from California they want it 

 revised. 



In the past ten years or more, the manufactured products over the 

 country have been centralizing, consolidating — trusts, if you please; 

 but they limit their output, they cheapen their production, they are 

 protected by patents and one thing and another. Possibly they can 

 stand tariff revision. The Spanish war has been settled. Cuba has been 

 made fit to live in, and Porto Rico has become ours. Millions and 

 millions of dollars have gone into Cuba, Porto Rico. Bermuda, and the 

 Islands, and these are to-day in direct competition with the American 

 fruit grower, and twenty-four to forty-eight hours across the bay is 

 their haul, while ours is 2.000 to 3.500 miles to get into our markets 

 by railway. 



Now, when you come to talk tariff revision to me. I am willing you 

 should re\dse, but I say the fruit grower needs a revision with an 

 upward tendency to meet those conditions, directly opposite from the 

 manufactured product of the East. (Applause.) We can not con- 

 solidate, we can not limit the output ; every grower of oranges here is 

 in competition with his neighbor, whether he lives here or anwhere 

 else. We have no patents to protect us. Here is the government of the 

 United States, through its representatives, spending thousands of dol- 

 lars every year for better methods, but you can not limit your output ; 

 you are all the time increasing it, and the only thing you can do is to 

 protect yourself from the fellow who takes his money abroad to the 

 Islands, Cuba, Porto Rico, or elsewhere — not Porto Rico particularly — 

 and with labor conditions entirely different from ours, he comes in direct 



