130 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



WEAKNESSES IN OUR FRESH FRUIT STANDARDIZATION 



LAW. 



By F. B. McKevitt, President California Fruit Distributors, Sacramento. Cal. 



I wish to say in the beginning that any expression of opinion I may 

 offer in this paper is my own ; I am not speaking for any organization of 

 which I may be a member or an officer, and have consulted no one in 

 regard to some of the recommendations that may be made. 



I have been in the fruit business of this state a little over thirty -nine 

 years, and during that time have endeavored to keep my eyes and ears 

 open, studying and thinking of ways and means to improve our methods 

 to the end that both grower and consumer might be benefited. There 

 have been many changes in the fruit business of this state since 1877, 

 and while most of them have been beneficial, they are not all so, and 

 in at least one notable respect, we fail to use the common sense and 

 judgment of years ago. 



The present standardization law was not drafted with the idea that it 

 w r as a perfect law ; it was not made hard or drastic, but was intended to 

 be a correction of poor and dishonest packing and compel attention to 

 the principles of common honesty. So far as these things go, it is a 

 success, and with slight modifications woidd be completely so were it 

 efficiently enforced. 



A large percentage of the interstate shipment of fresh fruit is honestly 

 packed; it was so before we had any law bearing upon the subject. 

 Most people recognize the fact that none but good fruit should be 

 shipped, but there are some who can not or will not resist the tempta- 

 tion to increase their shipments by packing unfit fruit. It is because 

 of them that a law is necessary, and its enforcement provided for. 



It is a weakness in the present law that domestic shipments are exempt 

 from the provisions of the act. Experience, as well as justice, shows 

 there should be no exemption. This defect will probably be remedied 

 by the present legislature. 



In the opinion of many, it is a weakness in the present law that 

 the sugar content of grapes was specified at 17 per cent and Emperors 

 16 per cent; 18 for most table varieties and 16 for Emperors and 

 Cornichons woidd be better. Much complaint was made in the Eastern 

 market this season because of green and immature Malagas. Either 

 they were too sour to suit the trade, because of low sugar content, or 

 the inspectors were careless and permitted the shipment of stock that 

 was not up to the standard. Inspection in the same districts last year 

 was satisfactory, and if equally well clone this season, would indicate 

 the necessity for a higher standard. It is the poorest of business judg- 

 ment to ship grapes that are unfit to eat, and nothing will more surely 

 kill the extensively-grown demand for this fruit. It is a weakness that 

 the Standardization Law does not establish a standard pack for inter- 

 state shipping, specifying the maximum number of pounds of fruit con- 

 tained therein. It is necessary to have a provision of this kind owing 

 to the general practice of packing grape crates, apple and pear boxes 



