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human nature for a man to think his own apples just as good 

 as his neighbor's, but it is not always so. There is a na- 

 tional law and I would like to see it extended and put into 

 operation, and I should be very glad, if a list of names is 

 sent to me, to see that everyone gets a copy of that bill. If 

 that bill is followed in spirit and otherwise, a better condi- 

 tion will exist all around, a better feeling will exist between 

 the farmers and the buyers and the commission merchants. 



MES. DEVING. Mr. Hearty has stated here that the 

 commission man is, in his opinion, a necessity. I would like 

 to ask, is it not true that the cooperative societies of the west 

 have practically eliminated the commission man in their bus- 

 mess? 



MR. HEARTY. That is what they started out to do, 

 but they are now coming back to the commission men. At 

 the outset, when relatively small quantities of high grade 

 apples were raised out west they could do that because it 

 was a novelty. Now, when they have got a very large crop, 

 they are seeking every medium that they can find to extend 

 their shipments. They are perfectly willing, I have heard, 

 to ship to anybody who will guarantee them the freight. 



MRS. DEVING. Do they not place their fruit abroad 

 through their own agents? 



MR. HEARTY. Not always, no. There are several 

 agents here, ourselves being one, Mr. Webling's firm being 

 another, and we all receive shipments of western boxed ap- 

 ples and from associations. 



MRS. DEVING. Is it not true that they bring their 

 fruit here and get a better price, have a better market, than 

 the New England orchardist? 



MR. HEARTY. Yes, their fruit brings relatively more 

 en this market than does New England fruit, and that is 

 easily seen by looking at the two grades. Another reason 

 for it is that people are eating more with their eyes today 

 than they are eating with their mouths. (Laughter and ap- 

 plause). 



MRS. DEVING. Of course, we New England orchard- 



