PAGE SIX ASHLA7TD TIDINGS I k 1 i DOW TOJPICK FRUIT Xrthwstern Fruit Exchange Gives j Instructions as to I'irking and Packing. Portland. Ore., Aug. 16. What is the best way to pick, gather and pack Trait, and what degree of ripeness is best at which to start harvesting op erations? The question is a serious one and its solution really means the success or failure of the fruit industry. The United States government is now try ing to solve the problem. H. J. Ram sey, pomologist of the government, is making a tour of leading fruit-pro-dacing sections of the Pacific coast and is gathering his data at close range. Today he was conferring with officials of the Northwestern Fruit Exchange of this city, regarding vari ous matters in connection with his work. "There is a certain degree of ripe-1 ness at which fruit is best to send to i I market," says Mr. Ramsey, "and we are trying to find this degree. We want to find it for two reasons it will give the producer a chance to pet the bulk of his crop to market in the best marketable condition and it will enable consumers to secure a better quality product than they have been accustomed to. "We will continue our investiga tion in Oregon this season as to the best methods and varieties of apples for storage purposes. Our work here tofore has been most successful and when we arrive at a 'definite result we will give the report to the pub lie. Investigations regarding apples will be made in both the Rogue river and Hood river valleys this season. "We will also endeavor to find the best methods of picking, packing and marketing of prunes. For this pur pose we will make investigations at Salem this season. We started this work two years ago but were unable to continue it last season." Mr. Ramsey goes from here to the llogue River Valley, where he will in vestigate the precoollng and shipping of the pear crop. The work in Oregon this season will be under the direction of A. W. McKay, who recently came here from 'Washington especially for this task, lie succeeds B. B. Pratt, the expert who leaves the employ of the govern ment to go to the University of Cali fornia at Berkeley. t j i "."."."'I iT""-' ""!!J."".T!!"""!!!m!!r".T '. w-" .." -" ' ". " ' " ' .."'"""""""...'-".""""'"L" """"" '"' '" - " - " t ' I Miii H hWM 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 , M II 1 1 l4 , , , , , ,,,,,, , M, ;,M , MM..,, Zu , n7f ' ' ' " " " 1 X I i i r; X X , i mwiUmlirmIILm...im.Lmu.m3mmuum. .,w,. ,,.,..,., Ju,i1,i!Wl,i,ll,JU,,lll nmmmiimmmnmivmmmmnmMm'mtx.,, ..liu.ii.. - I 'turn n - n m'lUfJI A 'MiIiHIi B'iJIHiH LJJUItM p S. P. CLAIMS GREAT ISS. Suburban Operations by S. P.. Com pany Made at a Iamh. According to the showing made by the Southern Pacific Company to the California State Railroad Commis sion, even though it is operating 877 ; suburban trains daily out of Oakland and Alameda Moles, and has carried in the last year about nineteen mil lion passengers, tho Southern Pacific Company is losing approximately three and a quarter million dollars annually on the suburban electric service in Alameda county. These figures were made known today from authoritative sources. It is said that the total passenger revenue for the twelve months ending June 30, 1913, was 11,365,707.15, while the total expense was $4,613,262, leaving a deficit to tho company of just $3, 247,554.85. In the hearing before the California State Railroad Com mission a few days ago, C. W. Dur brow' atl attorney 'or the railroad, ... .':.-. .1 .... i i . i testified that, without Interest and the $46,000,000 invested in the prop erties and taxes amounting to $54, 000, the loss on direct operating ex penses alone was $364,000 for the year. Adding to this amount the in terest and taxes and other fixed charges, tho figures given above are obtained. The statement is made that in these computations 90 per cent of the items are' those exclu sively for electric trains and not for steam trains. Of the remaining 10 per cent only that proportion is in cluded which can properly bo allotted to suburban service. The meaning of this loss can be better appreciated by talking in terms of passengers and miles. For every mile tho Southern Pacific Com pany carried a pessenger on its fer ries and trains on suburban trips it rceived less than' a cent, while the cost of the same service was over three times as great, or something like 3 1-6 centc. That is to say, on ail of the 19,000,000 travelers the railroad company lost 2 l-"5 cents cents for every mile it transported each one of them. Or, again, each passenger, on the average, paid 7 1-5 cents, regardless of distance, and yet it cost the carrier 24 and a fraction cent3 to serve him. On every one of tho 19,000,000 passen gers teh company was out a little over 17 cents for having had him as a customer. These statistics are tak en from the actual records of the Store and Six 40 6-It. plate glass mirror-back show cases, each $ 16,50 $100 L. C. Smith No. 2 typewriter, in good condition, $ 42,50 $110 National cash register, almost. new, - - $ 46.00 $50 roll top desk, 6-foot, - - - - - - $ 20.00 $330 new Cary safe, absolutely fireproof, - - $225.00 Many other bargains equally remarkable. Everything must be sold by SEPTEMBER FIRST c 220 1 1 1 u 1 1 1 1 1 ii m n 1 1 1 railroad and form the same reports mat are submitted to the state and federal commissions. Their being brought to light In a public way is one of the benefFcIal effects of the working of the public utllitl rt jThe people and the carrier alike are benefited by a knowledge of the facts, for each i3 entitled to the worth of the dollar it expends. The investment of $46,000,000 for prop erty is made up, as already explained in a detailed statement filer! wtth tho ! California State Railroad Commis ' sion. Interest on $46,000,000 at 6 per cent would bo $2,772,000. It would thus seem that the passenger earn ings are actually olny about one-half of the interest charges alone, to say nothing of the cost of managing the business and paying the state taxes. Six per cent is taken as an inter est rate in order to be on a conserva-1 tive basis, though it is well known1 that in the present condition of the money market thi3 is low. Were 7 per cent taken, the loss on the Ala meda county lines would be $4 02, 000 per year greater than $3,247, 000. It is pointed out further that the Southern Pacific equipment at the present time is new, and that therefore the charges for mainten ance are comparatively light. As it gets older, more will be required to keep up locomotives and cars. Portland Market. Portland, Aug. 15. Receipts for the week have been: Cattle 2,171, calves 18, hogs 2,020, sheep 6,503, horses 27. ' Fairly heavy run of cattle for the week, both native and southern stuff. Few extra choice steers in the run, prices remaining steady for top grades, but going lower on medium class, especially cows and heifers. Fancy native steers sold from $8.25 to $8.35. Lower grades $7.50 to $8. Choice cows and heifers selling around $6.25 to $6.50, with lower grades $5.75 to $6. A wide range of prices between choice and ordi nary stuff. A big decline in the hog market, with tops going from $8.25 to $8.60, with a general weak undertone. Light liquidation at week's close. The sheep market strengthened a little for the six-day period. Heavy receipts the first of the week and holding up fairly well to Thursday. Some lambs coming forward with slow outlet at steady prices. Prime Office Fixtures Dirt Cheau! Motor WEST MAIN STREET, MEDFORD, OREGON '""t 1 1 iii mini nn i ASKS RAISE IN RATES. Home Teleplione Company Implores Aid of Commission. The Home Telephone Company of Southern Oregon has filed a petition with the state railroad commission asking to be permitted to raise the rates at Medford and Jacksonville, alleging that the present rates are not remunerative. The rates as asked are about what Ashland is now paying the Pacific Telephone & Tele graph Company, which is said to own all the 6tock of the Home company. The Mail Tribune has the following regarding the request: "Alleging that its charges are in sufficient to yield a return sufficient to pay operating expenses, and that its business is being conducted at a net yearly loss of $29,735, the Home Telephone Company of Southern Ore gon has filed a petition with the state railroad commission, petitioning un der the public utilities law for an increase in phone rentals over those now charged in Medford and Jack sonville. "Rates petitioned for Medford and Jacksonville are for business one party phones from $2.50 to $3.50 per month; business, two-party, from $2 to $2.50 per month; resi dence, - one-party, from $2 to $2.50 per month; residence, two-party, from $1.50 to $2 per month; resi dence, four-party, from $1.25 to $1.75 per month; suburban, eight party, from $1.50 to $2 per inonth. Farmer switching service from $3, $4.20, $5, $5.40 and $7.20 per year to $8.40 per year. "Complete figures are presented of the company's investment, cost of operating and receipts. Even with the increased rates asked, which are permitted under the company's franchise, the receipts will still fall short of the amount necessary to pay a return on the investment, declares the company." A replica of Columbus caravel will pass through, the Panama canal in the dedication parade of vessels. This will be made from the design of the caravel that was exhibited at the Chicago world's fair, and wilj be con tributed for the occasion by the Har vard Club of San Francisco. yearling wethers selling $4 to $4.35: choice ewes $3.50 to $3.85: best lambs $5 to $5.50. AT Complete Keyboard Control This is the latest time saving .idea in type, writing. And it finds its perfect develop ment in the MODEL 10 VISIBLE SiiiitaiiB' a MAir1,US,,T,c eSSW?.wluch conuml w much time and labor are. on the MODEL 10 SMITH PREMIER, reduced to an absolute minima. Spacing for the wntmg pomt on each line, back spacing, tabulating: all are performed from the keyboard. The hand of the operator never touch the carriage except to insert the paper and space for a new line. K A T? ""ft SnH fFP11 ?CTalor vork j. to get a convincing idea or the value of these time and labor saving features.. 6 Smith Premier Department . Remington Typewriter Company Authorities in the drug business calculate the number of soda foun tains in use in the United States at not less than 75,000, and they are said to represent an investment of $50,000,000. The annual receipts of these supplies of soft drinks may reach $500,000,000 A New York hospital is experiment ing with Illuminating the floors of rooms from beneath with electric lamps set under glass and backed by reflectors. U HHWWWt""1""" i Canada is nearly thirty times as large as GreaJ Britain and Ireland, the total area of the Dominion being only 237,000 square miles less than that of the whole continent of Europe. Coal for eight centuries (more than 5,000,000,000 tons) is the sup ply still available claimed for New castle, England. France has -40,000 acres of almond trees. r u it