THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 149 



THE FUTURE OF THE PRUNE INDUSTRY; WHAT SHALL 



WE MAKE IT? 



By H. C. Dunlap, Napa, Cal. 



We are confronted with an undeveloped market, abandoned to waste- 

 ful and unsound speculative conditions. We will in the very near 

 future undoubtedly be called on to market many times our present 

 production. 



Shall we prepare a market by standardizing our goods, advertising 

 them, and by establishing a control of this market to foster and protect 

 the industry and encourage the consumption? Or, on the other hand, 

 shall we calmly stand by and sec our prosperity go glimmering because 

 we have not the moral courage and confidence in human nature to 

 adopt and apply modern business methods? 



The history of many industries proves what the future will be if we 

 do not prepare. The present of many similar industries proves what 

 can be accomplished if we combat and overcome the conditions we face. 



The most intelligent and practical business men in our nation have 

 applied cooperative methods to foster and protect their interests. Many 

 rural industries have established stable and enduring prosperity for 

 themselves and their communities by application of similar methods. 



The many good business and legal aiithorities in our state and in our 

 county, who have advised and consulted with regard to the terms and 

 principles embodied in the agreements we are asked to sign, unan- 

 imously endorse the plan and urge us to participate. They see in 

 our cooperation the certainty of a greater assured prosperity for our 

 already prosperous and productive state. 



We have now the opportunity to accomplish for ourselves and our 

 communities this great work. 1 defy any man. grower, packer, busi- 

 ness man, or whatever, the speculator only excepted, to show me where 

 his interest will not lie furthered by this move. And I w r ant to add 

 that it is certainly the duty of every grower in this state to make this 

 investment. 



This cooperation will be our cooperation and any provision that will 

 make for its success will make for the success of our individual interests 

 in it, and in our crops. The men who will lie called on to execute 

 this great wwk must be given a good business proposition to work on, 

 otherwise the producers' interests will never be preserved. 



In view of the present unsound conditions existing in our market, 

 and the great production we must shortly dispose of, every grower 

 can afford to make the required investment and every business man can 

 afford to help, because they can not afford to let this opportunity to 

 insure the future slip by. 



I have been slated on the program to assist in the discussion, and 

 not wishing to encroach on any one's time, I will close with a report 

 of the progress so far made by our Napa County growers' organization 

 committee. After a week or two spent in interesting our business men, 

 bankers and progressive urbanites, and circulating educational litera- 

 ture, and canvassing to secure an attendance for a mass meeting we 

 have for several days pasl canvassed the county to secure (be signatures 



