NORTHWESTERN FRUIT GROWERS' 

 DISTRIBUTING ASSOCIATION. 



The Northwestern Fruit Growers' Distributing Association was organized in 

 Chicago, January oth, 1875, at which time there was present about 400 of the 

 leading fruit growers from Illinois and Michigan. The cause of the organi- 

 zation of this association, as set forth in the preamble to the constitution, is : 



Whereas, The fruit-growing interest of the Northwest has assumed such magnitude as 

 to require careful attention ; and 



Whereas, The plan which now exists for handling of fruit, from the grower, through its 

 transportation and commission men, to the consumer, is attended with very small profit, if 

 not an entire loss to the grower; and 



Whereas, It is especially desirable to adopt some system whereby the grower may be 

 better informed as to the supply and demand, and that said information may be spread be- 

 fore the people at as early a day as practicable, therefore we, the undersigned, unite, etc. 



Article 2 of the constitution sets forth the object as follows ; 



Its object shall be to collect all possible information pertaining to the sale of fruit in the 

 Northwest, and publish it in some suitable form for distribution to the members, to enable 

 them to more readily reach a market for the products of their farms and gardens, and to 

 make any other regulation regarding the sale of fruit deemed necessary and advisable by the 

 association. 



After adopting the constitution, of which the above is a part, the following 

 officers were elected: 



President, Dr. M. M. Hooton, Centralia, III. ; Vice Presidents, A. S. Djck- 

 man. South Ilaven, Mich., T. P. C. Lane, Mattoon, 111., W. P. Eobinson, Car- 

 bondale. 111. ; Recording Secretary, 0. S. Willey, Beaton Harbor, Mich.; As- 

 sistant Secretary, T. A.E. Holcomb, South Pass, 111. ; Corresponding Secretary, 

 W. C. Flagg, Moro, 111. ; Treasurer, 0. E. Moore, Chicago, 111. ; Ex. Committee, 

 W. Corner, Fennsville, Mich., — . Galbreth, Jeffersonville, 111., Prof. Barler, Al- 

 ton, III., A. R. Nowlan, Benton Harbor, Mich., S. P. Bingham, Makauda, 111. 



February 25th Mr. Moore resigned the office of treasurer, and the ex. com- 

 mittee elected T. D. Randall, of Chicago, to fill the vacancy, who has accepted 

 the trust and filed his bond with the secretary. 



The Executive Committee found that the chief difficulty in the way of per- 

 fect unanimity between grower and seller, arose from a lack of confidence in 

 each, or, in other words, while there are many of both classes who aim to do a 

 straightforward and upright business, and are entitled to the confidence of all, 

 still the great number of fraudulent shippers and sellers makes it necessary to 

 throw about both certain restraints. As a safeguard to both, the Executive 

 Committee, at a meeting in Chicago, February 24th, 1875, adopted the follow- 

 ing rules: 



