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ject what they saw fit and guarantee the goods absolutely. 

 This has been tried out again and again and it has been 

 elearly demonstrated that there can be little hope for a 

 co-operation among growers oJ: vegetables or fruits unless 

 the goods can pass through some central point repacked and 

 handled to a standard by people who are not interested in 

 their growing. This is the stumbling block in most at- 

 tempts to co-operate yet it is the foundation principle of all. 

 Another thing which must be remembered in forming a co- 

 operative society is the fact that co-operation means quality. 

 The quick and the strong giving up something of their su- 

 periority to aid the dull and the weak. Hundreds of co- 

 operative efforts have failed because after a short period a 

 few strong and unscrupulous men saw an opportunity to ex- 

 ploit the rest. Such is usually a definite form oi robbery 

 and has thrown more discredit and suspicion upon an hon- 

 est effort to co-operate than anything else in the history of 

 the movement. The only safety lies in all the members real- 

 izing that each must accept a fair average and no more and 

 that the ruling spirit of any such organization must be the 

 square deal and brotherly feeling. Without this there is 

 no hope for permanent strength in a co-operative society. 



That has been the history of every co-operative society, 

 thus far, and there can be no getting away from the proposi- 

 tion. One of the most successful instances of co-operation 

 in this country is the Citrus Protective League of Califor- 

 nia. That organization was formed to handle the situation 

 which grew up in the lemon and orange business. A strong 

 lobby of importers in New York City has been working over 

 congress for the free importation of citrus fruits into this 

 country, which it was claimed in the present state of Cali- 

 fornia conditions would have ruined the industry there. 

 When representatives of this industry went to congress, 

 found themselves handicapped because they were unable to 

 give definite figures about their business. They therefore 

 went back, organized their society, raised the necessary 

 money, and engaged a well known man to handle the bu.ii- 

 ness. This has enabled them to get together the most com- 

 prehensive statement of the cost of producing a crop, ev^r 

 worked out in the world. They know just exactly whit 

 their oranges cost from the tree to the consumer's mouth, 

 and with these absolute figures they were able to convince 

 congress that their industry should be upheld. And when the 

 railroads undertook to raise the price of carrying their 



