200 MARKETING PROBLEMS 



that in future nothing would be sold to them direct by 

 the growers, and anything they wanted would have to 

 be bought at the auction marts. The position of 

 auctioneer at these marts was generally conferred on 

 the grower in the district who was held in the greatest 

 esteem. It brought no fee or commission of any sort, 

 but was regarded as a post of much honour. 



The wholesale dealers were left with no alternative 

 but to purchase at these marts, and they accepted a 

 situation which had its advantages even for them, in 

 the way of bringing supplies to one recognised spot, 

 although they were now not always able to make such 

 good bargains as of old. For the growers the impor- 

 tant result was that the control of the market passed 

 from the hands of the middlemen into their own. This 

 fact alone was sufficient to secure for them better prices 

 than they had had before. Those prices rose still 

 higher when the combination organized a rigid system 

 of inspection with a view to guaranteeing that the pro- 

 duce offered for sale at the marts was of good quality, 

 properly graded, and of the stated weight, penalties 

 being imposed on any of the members who offended in 

 any one of these directions. So, concurrently with the 

 better prices, the produce got a better name, and at the 

 international exhibition of food and vegetables held 

 at Dusseldorf in 1904 nearly all the first prizes for 

 grapes, other fruits, and vegetables, were secured by 

 Westlandia in fair and open competition with some 

 of the best growers of Germany, France, Belgium, and 

 other countries. 



Now the essence of this story is that the Producers 

 did not seek to abolish the Middleman-distributor : 

 they controlled him, and with that they have been well 

 satisfied. They secured better prices, under improved 

 conditions, for a better class of produce ; and though 



