A POLICY FOR FRUIT-GROWERS. 



consume much more than it now does if encouraged to 

 do so by lower prices at retail stores. Many kinds of 

 fruit have high value as nutriment; all kinds are rel- 

 ished as palatable. In older countries the consump- 

 tion of fruiter capita is much larger than it is here, 

 and statistics show that the tendency has been to- 

 ward a steady increase on the part of the American 

 public. This tendency is likely to continue with im- 

 provement in the quality, increase in quantity and re- 

 duction in cost at retail stores. Thus the bugbear of 

 overproduction must give place to the substantial 

 fact of underconsumption. 



THE COMMISSION SYSTEM. 



The decision of the California fruit-growers them- 

 selves, after the most searching examination they 

 could give it, is that the chief trouble lies with the 

 commission system. It is freely charged, and gener- 

 ally believed, that commission houses do not deal 

 honestly with the growers. This is one of those 

 charges much easier made than proven, but it is at 

 least certain that the opportunity for the grossest in- 

 justice exists, whether it be taken advantage of or 

 not. The commission house occupies the wide space 

 between the grower and the consumer. It has grown 

 to be a large and important part of the machinery of 

 the fruit industry. It represents a comparatively 

 small investment, but bears every evidence of having 

 enjoyed a disproportionately large share of the pro- 

 fits. "Let me control the markets and I care not who 

 raises the fruit" is an appropriate adaptation of an 

 old line. Whoever controls the markets is certainly 

 in a position to make the business net a profit or a 

 loss to the numerous, scattered and unorganized class 

 who raise the fruit, and whose aggregate investment 

 in the business is enormous. 



IS THIS THE WAY IT IS DONE? 



It is the custom of commission houses to make con- 

 tracts under which they advance money on the crop 

 and then agree to handle it at the owner's risk, dis- 

 posing of it according to their judgment and return- 

 ing the proceeds of the sale to the grower, less 

 expense of handling and commission. It is charged 

 that fruit is often sold to purchasers who are merely 

 the dummies of the commission men, and that the 

 genuine sale to wholesaler or retailer is made on 

 much better terms, the profit on the transaction going 

 into the pockets of the commission men. There are 

 those who claim to be able to prove to the satisfaction 

 of unprejudiced minds that this is the actual mode of 

 operation. THE AGE does not pretend to be able to 

 prove it, and it does not seem important to do so. 



NO DOUBT ABOUT THIS FACT. 



For our purposes it is sufficient to know that while 

 the prices realized by the producer have steadily de- 

 clined, the prices paid by the consumer remain the 



same as formerly, and are large enough to pay the 

 grower very handsome profits if he received his fair 

 share of it. This assertion is susceptible of proof. 

 THE AGE has conducted an investigation at its own ex- 

 pense, sending a representative to Cincinnati, Wash- 

 ington, New York City, Minneapolis, Chicago and 

 other points, to ascertain what the public is paying 

 for dried peaches, apricots, raisins, prunes and other 

 products of irrigated lands, for which growers are re- 

 ceiving much smaller prices than they have a right 

 to expect. There is something to be said for the com- 

 mission men's side of the case, and this shall be fairly 

 stated. 



WHAT THE CONSUMER PAYS. 



Among others, our representative interviewed John 

 Wilkin, of 254 Grand street, New York. California 

 dried peaches, such as growers have been selling at 

 5 or 6 cents per pound, were tendered at 30 cents per 

 pound, and apricots at 25 cents. Mr. Wilkin was 

 asked what price he would quote per hundred, and 

 replied that he could give no discount, as the margin 

 of profit was very small. 



The firm of Hamburger & Newburg, 126 and 128 

 Sixth street, Cincinnati, quoted the price of 30 cents 

 per pound. They were closely pressed for a price on 

 100-pound lots, and finally named 25 cents, remark- 

 ing, " But that leaves us a very close margin, indeed." 



A canvass of several of the best groceries in Wash- 

 ington, D. C., found apricots 20 to 25 cents, peaches 

 25 cents, prunes 15 to 18 cents, raisins from 25 to 40 

 cents. 



In Minneapolis, M. H. Cassidy, 1318 Sixth avenue, 

 north, quoted dry peaches, prunes, raisins and apri- 

 cots, all at 15 cents wholesale. Minneapolis retail 

 stores quoted peaches at 20 to 25 cents, apricots at 16 

 to 18 cents, prunes at 15 to 20 cents, raisins at 10 to 30. 



In Chicago there are many large stores that make 

 runs on special lines of goods, and among these it is 

 easy to occasionally get quotations that tally with the 

 present prices received by growers. But the average 

 price paid by consumers for California dried fruits in 

 Chicago is from 20 to 25 cents. 



The commission house claims to realize but half a 

 cent for its services; the freight figures less than 2 

 cents. What becomes of the rest of the money rep- 

 resenting the difference between the price received 

 by the grower and the price paid by the consumer? 

 There are from 15 to 20 cents per pound to be ac- 

 counted for. If the wholesaler or retailer, or both 

 together, realize this profit, while the meek commis- 

 sion man sets humbly by and sees them do it at the 

 expense of his client, the grower, it is certainly very 

 odd. 



WHAT COMMISSION MEN SAY. 



THE AGE has waited upon some of the leading 

 California commission houses and asked them for an 



