THE PROGRESS OF WESTERN AMERICA. 



51 



THE SCENE OF ACTIVE COLONIZATION ENTERPRISES. 



population will find that a stupendous obstacle has 

 been placed in its way. The same statement applies 

 to all other States and Territories. Every irrigation 

 project should submit its plans to a department of the 

 State government before placing its securities on 

 the market. The State would thus lend its moral in- 

 fluence to any project which obtained its approval. 

 It is perfectly feasible for the State to pass intelli- 

 gently upon the water supply, character of lands and 

 amount of security involved in an irrigation proposi- 

 tion. It may even go further with safety and under- 

 take to vouch for the character of the men behind the 

 enterprise. With such a certificate the sale of good 

 securities would be rendered easier, and without it it 

 would be very difficult indeed for a project to suc- 

 ceed. The time has come when every doubtful 

 scheme should be plainly illuminated. THE AGE 

 stands ready to investigate anything of this nature 

 which may be brought to its attention in good faith. 



A leading article in this number of THE 

 Fruit Grow- . .... , . 



ers Must AGE describes the efforts which are being 

 Combine. put forth by the fuit g rowers to break 



the monopoly of the commission men. The subject is 

 one of the utmost importance. It appeals not alone 



to those engaged in the fruit industry of California, 

 but is equally interesting to Arizona, New Mexico, 

 Colorado, Idaho and Washington, and whatever other 

 localities are seriously attempting to build up a profit- 

 able trade in this line. In California the commission 

 men have the producers by the throat. The methods 

 which have succeeded in bringing about this result 

 there will in time be applied with equal success every- 

 where else. When the commission house advances 

 money upon the crop and obtains a contract to dis- 

 pose of the product on such terms as it may deem 

 best, the grower is on the road to financial ruin. Thi& 

 process has resulted in depressing the price of fruit 

 on the western ranches to a ridiculous degree, but the 

 eastern consumer does not get the benefit of the re- 

 duction. He pays as much as in the days when the 

 fruit-grower enjoyed his greatest prosperity. The 

 only remedy is cooperation. This furnishes the 

 means by which growers, by their united credit, can 

 secure such advances as they may need and then dis- 

 pense with the middlemen in placing their goods on 

 the market. It is very important that the present 

 movement in this direction should succeed. Every- 

 effort should be made to strengthen it. 



