480 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



hood to say to the Railroad Commissioners, "I want yon to take this 

 matter up before the Interstate Commerce Commission." 



Mr. Marchbank. I think we ought to take advantage of that address. 

 I believe it ought to be printed and every fruit grower get a copy of it. 

 Too bad more growers won't receive it; that it will not reach the ma- 

 jority of the growers. 



Mr. Shepherd. I would like to ask how small a band of fruit grow- 

 ers organized could get into this one that the gentleman speaks of. I 

 represent a small fruit growers' organization in our neighborhood, but 

 I think they have no intimation or knowledge of this one that Mr. 

 Dargitz speaks of. 



Mr. Dargitz. The Cured Fruit Organization is quite new. It is only 

 about sixty days ago that we started work, and it was only on the 25th 

 of November that we incorporated the central body. Of the nine asso- 

 ciations now incorporated and natural members of the exchange, I think 

 the least one will have will be possibly three hundred tons of cured 

 fruit — a fair crop — and the largest one will have perhaps three thousand 

 tons. 



Mr. Shepherd. I think this organization I speak of will have about 

 a hundred and seventy tons. 



Mr. Dargitz. I do not think it would be wise to place any limit on 

 it at all. The question is whether the growers in any community will 

 get together and organize and incorporate under the plan that we have 

 drawn up. That is the only question, and Mr. Jeffrey, the secretary of 

 the exchange, is giving his attention particularly now to organization. I 

 joined with him in that work until we organized the central body. Since 

 then it has fallen to his lot to take hold of the marketing and build 

 that up. We should be very much pleased to get in touch with you, and 

 anything we can do for you we shall gladly do. I understand that 

 during this convention invitations have been received from several 

 different districts inviting us to visit them, with the view of organizing. 

 It has been our idea not to take on members for more than, perhaps, 

 ten thousand five hundred cars for the 1912 crop. We want to get 

 thoroughly established in a small wa}^ thoroughly acquainted with the 

 possibilities of the market, and then we will be able to handle two or 

 three times that amount next year. We want to gradually grow, not 

 leap to the front ^;11 in a moment. If we take on too much this year 

 and make a failure of it, the people on the outside will use that for a 

 sort of club to prevent our success. We want to work it slowly but 

 surely, and in such a way that the people on the other side will have 

 absolutely no way of getting back at us. 



Just one word more, if j^ou will permit me. In regard to fresh fruit 

 shipments. This organization is not in any way connected with the 

 fresh fruit shipment work, only as it might be in a friendly relation. 

 Mr. McKevitt and two or three other men who are in position to have 

 accurate information, figured a few months ago that there are enough 

 young orchards planted now of deciduous fruit on the Pacific slope — 

 that is. including Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Cali- 



