114 PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



The demand for labor during the busy season was far greater than the supply, 

 with the result that wages were materially advanced and ranged from $1.70 to 

 $2.25 per day. This increases the cost of picking, packing, etc. 

 Cost per car to the grower at the $1.45 rate : 



Freight and refrigeration $445 50 



Crates complete 110 00 



Picking, packing, etc. 231 00 



Loading 18 50 



Delivery at car 18 50 



Interest upon capital invested 00 00 



Taxes (minimum) 10 00 



$923 50 



Commission 64 64 



$988 14 



To the $988 must be added the cost of production, which, when properly done, 

 includes the following items : 



Pruning, clearing away brush, twine and tying (when staked), plowing twice, 

 cultivating from four to six times, hoeing, sulphur and applying same twice, irri- 

 gating, etc., which, when done in the most economical way, will make the total cost 

 to the grower per car considerably more than $1,000, which does not include family 

 support. 



Of the 1,092 cars above given, only 39 of them sold at and above cost, thus 

 showing that eighty-nine and seven-tenths per cent sold at a loss to the growers. 



We repeat that no unreasonable, selfish or unjust motive actuates the growers 

 in this matter, but, on the contrary, they are moved by a desire to promote all 

 interests involved. 



Many growers — as shown herein. 89 per cent of them — realize that they are facing 

 financial ruin unless relief in some form comes to their interests, which will be 

 impossible, except through a radical change in the present methods and cost Of 

 transportation. 



The results from shipments and sales of California deciduous fruit this season 

 show that if the request of the deciduous growers to have their shipments placed 

 upon an equality with the orange growers be granted, the question will then be : 

 Will the relief coming therefrom be sufficient to place the rapidly increasing ship- 

 ments upon a fairly just paying basis'? 



Any action on the part of the railroads that in any manner will tend to increase 

 the cost to the growers to market their products will certainly bring ruin to a 

 very large per cent of the growers, such as is shown to be the case in the eight 

 days' shipments and rates above given, when more than S9 cars out of every 100 

 brought a. heavy loss to the growers. 



The increase to date in deciduous fruit shipments over those made in 1907 is 

 7,148 cars, or practically 100 per cent. 



The increase in table-grape shipments to date over the shipments of 1908 is 1.747 

 cars, or over 47 per cent. 



In conclusion we will repeat what we said in our petition under date of Janu- 

 ary 30, 1909: 



"We call your attention to the indisputable fact, which is. that to broaden the 

 Eastern markets sufficiently to consume at a profit to the growers the great increase 

 in the tonnage of table grapes and deciduous tree fruit shipments from California 

 is utterly beyond the power of the growers, and if this question is to be success- 

 fully solved it must be through the ability, allied with an earnest and determined 

 effort on the part of the transportation companies that handle such shipments." 



Respectfully submitted. 



R. D. Stephens, Chairman. 

 M. E. Angler, 

 C. M. Hartley. 



Fruit Growers' Committee. 



MR. STEPHENS. Now, that was a general average. These were 

 not selected cars, but every car that was reported, some of which brought 

 good, remunerative prices. For instance, the sale of September 28th; 

 there is one car brought $1,271.00, one $1,045.00. and 32 cars average 

 loss to grower, $145.19, made the loss to the grower $4,934.00 ; two cars 

 brought a profit of $216.00, which is to be taken from the loss, which 

 leaves a net loss of $4,618.00 that those cars sold upon that day. Here 

 are several $1,200.00 cars, $1,100.00 cars; here is a $1,300.00 car on 



