508 noARD OF ACHicrr/ruuK, 



two (lays, are the peoide who iu'e<l especially a co-operative shipping as- 

 sociation; because you can not ship in a small way and make it pay, aud 

 you will get discouraged and quit the business; whei'eas, if you would go 

 together and organize and ship a load today, and another tomorrow, or. 

 if necessary, have an ice car and load two days together aud ship out in 

 that way, you will save a great deal in freights. I have seen a time 

 when if we were obliged to ship alone, we could not have gotten a profit 

 out of our stuff, but by having an association we could go together and 

 make a profit out of the difi'erence in freight. The idea is, it is the 

 small growers that need heli) — the large ones will take care of them- 

 selves; but the small growers, if there is anything in the business, will 

 be large groAvers, and will be of great benefit to the community if they 

 can be kept in the business; and the only way they can be kept in the 

 business is by having an association that will enable them to get a profit 

 out of their products. 



Now, about organizing an association— You have nothing of the kind 

 here? 



A Delegate: No, sir. 



In the first place, in order to have a successful co-operative shipping 

 association, the one essential thing is to have confidence in each other. 

 If you can not have confidence in each other you can not have a success- 

 ful co-operative shipping association, because the co-operation that will 

 not co-operate will not succeed. So, if you are going to organize an as- 

 socation, you must make up your minds that your neighbor is willing to 

 do just as near fair as j'ou are. I say that, because these things always 

 come up. Your neighbor Avill imagine that because you are an official, 

 or because you stand in with the oflSclals, that you are getting better 

 prices than he is. Nobody is so selfish as a fruit grower. I am one my- 

 self, and know that to be true. And still, along that line, there is not 

 any man in any organization for any class of work of whatever character, 

 who will get up and tell all the secrets of his occupation as the fruit 

 grower will. I know the fruit grower's habit in this respect, and I 

 know that he never holds any information back. He is glad to tell 

 what he knows about the business to help his neighbor. But I in.sist 

 that the great, essential thing is to have confidence in one another. If 

 you start out right you will end right and make a success. 



Now, in order to organize a shipping association it will be brought 

 about veiy much the same as any other organization. Some one will 

 have to take the initiative and notify every fruit grower that on a cer- 

 tain day 3'ou will meet for the purpose of organizing a shipping asso- 

 ciation. When the meeting is held, decide upon and elect your officers. 

 Have a President and a Secretary and elect a Board of Directors. If 

 you are only going to cari-y on tlu- Inif^inef^s in a .small way, elect a Pres- 



