50 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
refrigeration to eastern markets, and 
rates on oranges, pineapples and vege¬ 
tables into markets north of the Ohio and 
west of the Mississippi Rivers. 
Please understand that we are not ask¬ 
ing for lower rates on Florida products 
compared with rates from other sections 
but only want to be permitted to go into 
the markets of the country on an equal, 
or the same, basis as competitive products 
produced elsewhere. We have confidence 
in the merits of Florida products winning 
out with a fair profit to the producer, pro¬ 
vided they are not badly handicapped and 
discriminated against in the way of 
freight and refrigeration charges. 
At the present time the Florida, pine- 
apple growers are treated to an object 
lesson in preferred attention and expedit¬ 
ed service given to Cuban pineapples at 
a time when Florida pineapples and Cu¬ 
ban pineapples are moving into the mar¬ 
kets of the country in open competition. 
Is it fair that a product produced with 
American labor should have to pay a 
higher freight rate over the same rails 
and on a shorter haul to reach the Amer¬ 
ican markets than a product produced by 
cheap foreign labor? The rate on Cuban 
pineapples (in crates) from Havana to 
Chicago, via Knights Key, is 66 * 4 c per 
crate with a minimum of 250 crates per 
car while the rate on a crate of Florida 
pineapples from Miami, Fla., to Chicago, 
with a minimum carload of 300 crates, is 
92.6c per crate or a greater charge of 
26 cents per crate, or $78 a car more on 
Florida pineapples for a shorter haul by 
nearly 250 miles than on Cuban pineap¬ 
ples. The same railroads are giving the 
Cuban pineapples special attention and 
running special trains through to Chi¬ 
cago on a schedule of 2^ days whereas 
it takes a car of Florida pineapples, mov¬ 
ing over the same route, from Miami to 
Chicago anywhere from five (5) to eight 
(8) days. When you take into consider¬ 
ation the fact that Cuban pineapples cost 
less to produce and less to ship than Flor¬ 
ida pineapples the outlook is not encour¬ 
aging for the Florida growers. Under 
the circumstances, it is not surprising 
that the Florida grower feels that he :s 
not getting a square deal. 
While this association was not formed 
to handle the tariff on Florida products, 
it was called upon to do so. Members of 
the association appeared before the Ways 
and Means Committee and filed briefs on 
Florida fruits and vegetables. The pres¬ 
ent duty of one cent (ic) a pound on 
citrus fruits will undoubtedly be con¬ 
firmed in the pending tariff bill* but it 
looks doubtful if the pineapple growers 
would receive the protection they are 
entitled to. Strong pressure has been 
brought to bear from the importers and 
canners of Cuban pineapples and it does 
not look hopeful for Florida pineapple 
growers, who are asking for a duty of 
y 2 z per pound on Cuban pineapples. 
In closing, let me request closer co¬ 
operation amongst the Florida growers in 
questions pertaining to the general good 
of all interests. It is not fair that the bur¬ 
den be borne by a few and not shared 
by all. In California the growers au¬ 
thorize the marketing organizations to de¬ 
duct a fraction of a cent per package from 
all products shipped as individual contri¬ 
butions toward a general fund to be used 
in securing equitable freight rates, proper 
tariff and correcting abuses and bettering 
conditions. 
