52 Bulletin 85 



business judgment in disposing of the crop. Their remuneration was 

 to be 7 per cent of gross sales. 



Notices and quotations were sent by mail or .telegraph to pros- 

 pective buyers in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma 

 and Kansas. A large number of replies were received and the pre- 

 liminary outlook was very favorable. The first cars were sold on 

 order f. o. b. Glendale, subject to inspection by the purchaser on arrival. 

 These first cars were billed out at from $3.50 to $3.75 per 100 pounds 

 f. o. b. Glendale. It soon became necessary to revise this selling plan 

 and so arrangements were made between the two local firms and 

 brokers in Denver and El Paso. At this point, it may be stated, that 

 Jiside from 12 to 15 cars sold to buyers in mining towns in Arizona, all 

 of the potatoes from the Salt River Valley were sold in El Paso or 

 Denver, the shipments being rather evenly divided between these two 

 points. 



Shortly after the first cars were received complaints began to 

 arrive, accompanied by claims for allowances. No inspection what- 

 ever was made at loading stations or in the field and so there was 

 doubtless room for complaint by the buyers in many cases. There 

 seems to have been no reason, however, for some of the excessive 

 claims which were made later in the season other than that market 

 conditions were weaker and buyers found losses staring them in the 

 face. Practically all claims were allowed by the local firms who rep- 

 resented the growers. It was very difficult for these firms, operating 

 fiS they were, to verify reports given by buyers, and in order to main- 

 tain an even demand all of these claims were allowed. Allowances 

 made for various causes ranged from $20.57 P^^ ^^- ^^ $613.75 per 

 car. The total allowances made by selling agencies to all buyers for 

 all purposes amounted to $14,046.12 on the 83 cars. 



Final records showed that the 83 cars nominally billed out at 

 $71,249.47 f. o. b. Valley points, after commissions, brokers' fees and 

 decking costs had been deducted, actually returned $51,534.00 to 

 growers, equivalent to about $2.15 per 100 pounds. This heavy loss 

 was chiefly due to lack of inspection when the cars were loaded. A 

 second important factor was the inadequate protection afforded the 

 growers against unjust claims for damages. Some loss was also caused 

 the growers because rates on potatoes from the Salt River Valley to 

 El Paso were higher than rates from Southern California to the same 

 point. The freight differential in favor of Southern California ship- 

 ments amounted to 123/2C per 100 pounds and in order to compete 



