96 



THE HIGH COST OF LIVING 



such as the co-operative seHing agencies of California, 

 or in trust-controlled products which have organized 

 transportation, or in those articles in which the food 



trusts, operating refrigerator-cars, protected their 

 own supply. In those instances where the farmer 

 was unable to co-operate, or where he was at the 

 mercy of the railroads and distributing agencies, 

 the output of the farm has either decreased or re- 

 mained stationary.^ 



1 The California fruit-growers market 67 per cent, of the citrus 

 crop of that State directly to Eastern markets through a co-operative 

 agency. There are no middlemen or speculators. They marketed 

 $50,000,000 of fruit in 1916. The growth of the industry shows 

 the effect of freeing production from control by the distributers. 



