FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
109 
fruit is not in general use, especially in 
many sections of the country. We be¬ 
lieve it is going to be necessary during the 
next few years for the growefs and ship¬ 
pers of grapefruit to carry on a popular¬ 
izing campaign over the entire country. 
To that end, the League is attempting 
to interest the transportation companies 
in co-operating in this movement. On 
March 18th, a conference was called by 
the League at St. Augustine, which was 
attended by the authoritative representa¬ 
tives of practically every railroad in the 
Southeastern territory, and also by a few 
growers and shippers. The League pre¬ 
sented facts and arguments to show that 
the grapefruit industry was a compara¬ 
tively cheap one, and that the railroads 
could afford to separate this commodity 
from other citrus fruits, making a lower 
rate apply thereon. We feel that the 
situation is a very critical one, and that 
the transportation lines realize this, and 
will therefore grant a substantial reduc¬ 
tion. 
HANDLING CLAIMS FOR MEMBERS 
A 
Apparently, it is not clear to some mem¬ 
bers as to the character of claims which 
the League has undertaken to handle, as 
several times we have been requested to 
intercede in the collections where the pro¬ 
duce has been consigned to a dealer, who 
failed to make returns. That is purely a 
marketing phase, which is not embraced 
in our program, and we cannot handle 
such matters. However, we are having 
much success in the adjustment of claims 
against the railroads and express com¬ 
panies for overcharge in rates and loss 
and damage to shipments. For this work 
a small fee is charged so as to defray the 
additional expense involved in bringing 
about settlements, and it is not designed 
to realize any profit whatever therefrom. 
We do not make a charge unless we are 
successful in getting the claim settled. 
We have recently obtained settlement in 
several instances where the shipper filed 
claims direct and the same were declined. 
Any member desiring service of this kind 
should communicate with the Traffic De¬ 
partment. 
GETTING CITRUS FRUITS OUT OF “POCKET 
MARKETS." 
This is one of the first subjects under¬ 
taken upon the addition of our Traffic De¬ 
partment, and I am pleased to say that 
same has just been handled to a very suc¬ 
cessful conclusion. Every concession that 
was asked of the railroads in this con¬ 
nection has been granted, and as a result 
we will no longer be imposed upon by 
unscrupulous dealers located in these so- 
called “pockets," as under the arrange¬ 
ments that have been perfected, cars may 
be back-hauled at a very nominal charge 
in connection with reconsignment to more 
profitable points. Merely to give you 
some idea of what a task a general sub¬ 
ject of this character constitutes, approxi¬ 
mately 125 communications were ex¬ 
changed with our members and the trans¬ 
portation companies in this case alone. 
COMPLAINT OF CITRUS FRUIT RATE TO 
LI NEVILLE, ALA. 
Formal complaint has just been filed 
with the Interstate Commerce Commis¬ 
sion, praying for the establishment of a 
