SELLING AGENCIES 201 



who are outside of the organizations reap the increased 

 prices that are maintained by the exchanges. That is an 

 inducement for narrow-minded men to stay outside of 

 the organization. In some cases, prices have been ad- 

 vanced by the associations and the independent growers 

 have reaped the result. In other cases, where jobbers 

 and commission houses handle the fruit of certain sec- 

 tions, they purposely inflated prices to deter men from 

 becoming members of the exchange or to induce those 

 already members to withdraw and weaken the exchange. 



Another difficulty often set forth is that of keeping 

 the quality of the fruit up to standard. Some years the 

 different fruit sections might have a poor crop and gen- 

 eral climatic conditions make the entire yield of lower 

 grade. In such cases it is particularly difficult to keep 

 a standard pack and grade from year to year. However, 

 this is obviated largely by the guarantee which organiza- 

 tions are able to maintain, and the. buyers knowing that 

 if the fruit is off standard, they can demand a rebate or 

 a decrease in price paid for the goods. Another diffi- 

 culty is in general crop failures. This is only true 

 where the organizations cover limited territory. If a 

 local exchange representing one fruit-growing section has 

 an entire crop failure, this would leave the exchange 

 with practically no work to do for the whole year. 

 "Where the locals are combined into a central exchange 

 covering a large territory, this is not a valued objection 

 against the organization, because no large area in fruit 

 production can possibly have an entire crop failure in 

 one year. 



The old objection and the one usually advanced is 

 that of jealousy, envy and lack o*f confidence. "While 



