THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



explanation of existing conditions. A composite 

 photograph of their views looks as follows: 



"Overproduction is the trouble. The planting of 

 trees and vines has been stimulated to abnormal pro- 

 portions by the policy of California real-estate deal- 

 ers. A few years ago a few men of superior intelli- 

 gence in certain localities produced fruit of extraor- 

 dinary excellence and received for it extraordinary 

 prices. These few individuals realized very great 

 profits per acre, while the average grower received 

 very fair prices. The real-estate dealers immedi- 

 ately exhibited the results of the phenomenal cases 

 and declared them to be just a fair average of what 

 anybody could do on any kind of soil anywhere in the 

 golden State of California. The result was a great 

 impulse to the planting of orchards, overproduction 

 and a very natural decline in prices. You will find 

 by inquiry that in many instances dried fruits are 

 selling from 7 to 10 cents per pound at retail stores. 

 Wherever they sell for such quotations as you have 

 obtained, it is due to the fact that people do not insist 

 on close prices for such articles as they buy in small 

 quantities, as is the case when they buy butter, eggs 

 and other necessaries. In such cases the retailer 

 makes an unreasonable profit, but what are we going 

 to do about it? We have given the grower the benefit 

 of the best prices the market would afford in view of 

 the enormous production of fruit on one hand, and 

 the prevailing depression on the other. We have 

 dealt honestly with the growers, but they would not 

 be satisfied if they had 75 cents per pound." 



II!. ORGANIZATION THE PRICE OF 

 PROSPERITY. 



Whatever the cause of existing conditions, they 

 have grown up under the commission system. There 

 is no reason to believe that matters will improve 

 while that system continues to occupy the command- 

 ing place in the machinery of the industry. Now, the 

 commission house is theoretically only the agent of 

 the grower. Actually it is his master, and whenever 

 the agent becomes the master, it is the part of wisdom 

 to dispense with his services. Is it possible to find a 

 better agent, one who will be accountable to his em- 

 ployers, whose transactions will be open to scrutiny 

 and who will have no private interest inimical to the 

 interest of those he is paid to serve to the best of his 

 ability? The agent, of course, is a necessity. The 

 individual grower cannot personally dispose of his 

 product in the eastern market, nor maintain private 

 offices and representatives to deal with the trade. 

 But can growers do this collectively? Unquestiona- 

 bly they can if they will pool issues in good faith and 

 stand firmly together, and this is precisely what they 

 are now trying to do. 



ORGANIZATION WELL UNDER WAY. 



The organization of town and county unions among 

 fruit growers has been rapidly going forward of late. 

 It is believed that they can be brought together in a 

 strong and enduring State association. A very clear 

 statement of the aims and objects of the latter body 

 is contained in the following extract from the report 

 of Manager Edward F. Adams to the California Fruit 

 Exchange: 



They can ascertain the condition of the markets and the value 

 of their crops. 



They can explore and open up new markets and stimulate old 

 ones. 



They can procure their own funds for necessary advances on 

 crops, while retaining their sale in their own hands. 



They can concentrate, grade and prepare their products for 

 their final market. 



Between our fruit thus concentrated and in store in California 

 and the jobbing houses in distant cities, there must, for the 

 present, be a go-between of some kind. Nothing but substantial 

 uniformity of grading and packing, accompanied by clear defini- 

 tions of grades, certainty that goods delivered will conform to 

 them, and absence of severe competition will enable us to escape 

 this expense; but whenever we have learned to produce those 

 conditions, the mail and the wire will be all the middle servants 

 needed. 



That at present the necessary go-between may be with. 



1. The jobbtrs' agent, residing here and inspecting, buying 

 and paying on the spot in behalf of his principal. This form is of 

 course what we would wish. 



2. Our own agents, upon salary and expenses traveling among 

 jobbers and making sales. If, however, we take our business from 

 the brokers who now have it they will all work foreign goods in- 

 stead, and it becomes a mere question of dollars and cents whether 

 we can get men who will sell our entire crop each year, against 

 the competition of those who now sell it, at an aggregate expense 

 below the aggregate of commissions which we could arrange for 

 through brokers. 



3. Brokers selling upon uniform commission at prices set by 

 ourselves, the goods remaining in California until sold. 



What methods to adopt may safely be left to the judgment of 

 Directors, but my own view is that our policy should be that 

 which will induce the largest possible number of people to engage 

 in finding customers to consume our fruit products, and that it 

 should be known of all men that whoever will bring us a customer 

 shall be paid for it, at a uniform rate. 



Dried fruit can be concentrated, graded and packed by growers 

 through local co-operative unions, and in no other way. In no 

 other way, also, can it be put where the grower can obtain neces- 

 sary advances upon it without parting with control of its sale. 



I therefore think that the Exchange should actively promote 

 the formation of such unions throughout the State, upon sub- 

 stantially uniform plans which shall provide for a uniform system 

 of grading and packing, and for such inspection on the part of the 

 State Exchange as may be found necessary to maintain uni- 

 formity. 



DANGERS TO BE AVOIDED. 



There can be no question about the enormous 

 advantages of the new system over the old if it can 

 only be carried out. The experiment is full of prac- 

 tical difficulties, and these should not be underesti- 

 mated. No chain is stronger than its weakest link, 

 and all cooperative efforts have demonstrated that 

 there are some very weak links in large bodies 

 of individuals. If the commission system is to be 



