| Show n 7 S. S V Va t a 8 HIGH RAIL RATES I DRIVE SHIPPERS H OUT TO SEA Citrus Men Send Enormous Tonnage East by Panal Pana- Pana w l ma Canal Route RO Jf mm f M- M LOS OS ANGELES June 27 That 27 That cx- cx nt freight rates on southern m perishable fruits and vegetables vege- vege tables bles are almost certain to the downfall of the tIn tal freight lines lIns and force the and associated to buy operate operate p theIr own fleets neets of fast ex express ex- ex pr press ss steamers is indicated in a aS S Statement just issued by Charles C. C Teague T T ague president of the California Fruit Fruit- Growers' Growers exchange f. f Mr Teague said th that t the exchange I had nad boxes of citrus fruits In transit tr by water to Atlantic seaboard points points and admitted that it might e tie n necessary for the exchange to go gonto Into nto the steamship business to save f from m destruction the great southern lIf oran orange e and lemon business which hi h brings the growers approximately approximately a year under normal normal nor nor- mal conditions The exchange has made several trial shipments of oranges and lemons lem lem- ons ns to New York Philadelphia and London since the first of the year and met with such success that it now has almost a a. trainload of fruit passing passing pass pass- ing sing through the Panama canal The venture is so seriously regarded by bythe the associated citrus growers that the exchange has has has' appointed S. S J. J Arundel formerly Its London manager manager mana mann ger ger as head of the newly created de department department department de- de of ocean transportation with headquarters here Freight rates on perishable fruits vegetables grown and shipped fr from m all points along the Pacific c coast ast have advanced so rapidly si since ce 1918 that the horticultural industry is threatened with early annihilation unless unless un un- un- un less quick relief is obtained from some somes some's s 's s source and shippers are quite generally generally gener gener- ally agreed that ocean transportation Is lis the answer answer to the problem WAR PRICES HELPED When hen freight rates on citrus fruit shipments advanced 25 per cent In 1918 the growers doubted that they ld be able to stand the charge c-arge but hut big crop heavy loading of cars and high purchasing purchasing- power during the the 3 war enabled the industry to pull through although in the case of the citrus Industry alone the excess charges in a single year cost the growers an additional no nop p part h of which they could tack onto the cost of the fruit because much of it is sold at auction and has to togo togo togo go at whatever the market marlet price c chances ances to be fro to day But the big burden was piled on last August when the interstate commerce com com- merce commission authorized an Increase Increase In- In crease crease of 33 3 1 per cent In order as asIt It declared to enable each and andall all of tile the railroads in the United States to toS S earn 6 per cent on their capital sto stock kIn k In 1915 It cost 84 cents to ship a S. S box of lemons and 82 cents to ship a box of oranges to an Eastern market Today it costs a box to haul t the e lemons and to o ship the or oranges y APPLE GROWERS HIT The Northwest apple country feels the p pressure of unreasonably high freight rates quite as badly as does the southern California orange grower grow grow- er or and the same freight schedule is threatening t the great Imperial Im Ira- penal valley cantaloupe and lettuce i industries Wherever ranchers grow row afresh h fruit or vegetable crop which runs into what Is termed high tonnage ton ton- nage a nige a maximum of weight from ana an a the r rs yIeld the the high freight r rates tes are not ot only a burden but a serIo s men men- ace j I 1 Experiments with fruit shipments through the canal to Atlantic seaboard seaboard seaboard sea sea- board points und under r ventilation have been very satisfactory from the standpoint of the California Fruit Growers' Growers exchange A few minor de details de- de tails remain to be worked out but it itIs Is i. hr expected that all obstacles can be overcome E tarl rl G. G D ell assistant general genera manager of the exchange looks upon the venture with great enthusiasm He recently expressed the opinion that shipping citrus fruits via the 0 c canal nal would probably make New Orleans Orleans Or Or- S leans the ithe lemon market In lii tho- tho world as It would be the first port of call and would serve as the ilter from which to distribute lemon lem lem- on for the entire South Lemons are expected to ship better than oranges by boat S. S RIVER BOATS HANDY I Commenting upon the probability that the exchange might some day 1 W Wits its own fleet leet of Sunkist steamers steam steam- steam steam-I I ers rs Francis Q Story for sixteen I years president of the exchange stated stat stat- ed dupon upon the day of his retirement r recently that he believed the Mississippi Mississippi Mis Mis- river could be made to carry citrus fruits as far north as St. St Louis L by packet bo boat bot t from New Orl Or Or- l igans ns thereby cutting the railroads 1 out of the freight haul from the PaS Pac Pacific Pa Pa- S c f coast to o the Middle le West It Was was also pointed out that present I plans prans for making the Mississippi and I I rivers more navigable would I rake mak it possible to ship California I 1 fruits by water from Los Angeles harbor arbor to Cincinnati by changing to tor r shallow draft packet boats at New Ori Orleans ans b. b i S Some me Idea of the volume of busl- busl v. v ness sess that may be lost by the railroads railroads rail rail- i i i roads if the present excessive freight i i v 5 rates are kept in force for any any- considerable considerable con con- time may be gathered from th the fact that the Pacific coast ships approximately carloads of perishable fruits and vegetables to points east of the Missouri river each year year This quantity of foodstuffs is worth in round numbers California alone is producing and shipping each year carloads of citrus fruits carloads of de deciduous deciduous de- de fruits and carloads of fresh tresh vegetables and cantaloupes |
