state: pomological society. 105 



time, because it is a temporary organization. It was formed 

 with the intention and the purpose of being temporary. Our 

 next annual meeting comes during the State Grange. We appre- 

 hend that the Granges are going to take hold of it. We want 

 them to. It is open to every one at the present time to take 

 hold, whether they belong to the Grange or not, but as long as 

 the Grange was behind it we propose to submit it to them 

 whether they will admit people who are not grangers or not. 

 Now, if you will pardon me, I will read what I have prepared, 

 and then you can take hold and ask me all sorts of questions ; 

 I don't care even if you consider them impertinent, I will be 

 very much obliged for them and I will answer them civilly as I 

 can and thank you for it. 



When we begin to talk about co-operation it shows in itself 

 that we are dissatisfied with the present methods of collection 

 and distribution of the necessities of life, and that we are turn- 

 ing first to one thing and then another to get, if we can, a legal 

 right to the dollars that we believe morally belong to us. All 

 of us agree that we want nothing which is not ours by right, and 

 what is ours by right we zvill have if any one can show us the 

 way to get it without the use of force. Co-operation therefore 

 resolves itself into a question of economics and enters the field 

 of political economy, which works out beautifully in theory, but 

 in practice trade is controlled fully as much by the habit of 

 doing business in a certain place with a certain man in whom 

 we have confidence, as by the extra dollars we receive. Of 

 course trusts, which are comparatively a new element in political 

 economy, eliminate all phases of trade except the dollar prob- 

 lem. The friendship of the buyer and seller and also all confi- 

 dence which unrestricted trade demands are gone ; you take the 

 goods and pay your money, you can get them nowhere else. 

 Now in all fairness I want to say what a heaven this must be 

 to the man who has got absolute control of the source of supply. 

 If we could control the entire output of apples in this country, 

 or as nearly control it as the Standard Oil Company does the 

 oil supply, why I would call off several old scores which I have 

 been trying to pay for years. The fact is, no family uses one 

 half as many dollars worth of oil in a year as they do of the 

 various kinds of fruit, yet the Standard Oil Company has made 



