NINTH ANNUAL MEETING. 45 



tended that they could not afford to sell their goods in this 

 way. I pointed out where they made a failure in the 

 business. One of the points I put forth was that they 

 demoralized the market by cutting prices on each other. 

 For instance, one team would come around and offer cab- 

 bage at $1.50 per barrel, but the marketman would not 

 buy. The next man would come along and offer to sell at 

 $1,50. The marketman says: "No; such a man offered 

 at that price, and I would not buy." "Well, I will sell 

 you a barrel for $1,40. " "No; won't buy just yet. " 



And the next man comes and he asks $1.50 and the 

 marketman says, "Such a man offered to sell me at $1.40," 

 "Well, then, I will sell you a barrel at $1.30," and so it 

 goes, and finally the marketman buys at $1.20 or $1.25 — no 

 established market and no bottom to it; simply a go-as- 

 you-please market. No; concentrate your goods in the 

 hands of good commission merchants. Then they can 

 establish and hold a good, steady market. They are in the 

 business the year around and make that their entire busi- 

 ness and certainly they ought to know more ^bout selling 

 goods than a grower, who only peddles a few days out of 

 the year. 



Well, of course they said I was drumming for business. 

 Well, perhaps I was and perhaps I was not. At any rate, 

 I was telling them what was true, and they began to think 

 the matter over and figure the expense of a man and team 

 to do this business, and after a while they thought that I 

 was not far out of the way, and last season two-thirds of 

 the growers that come into Worcester with their produce 

 put it in the commission men's hands. It was not an 

 uncommon thing to see a dozen teams or more unloading 

 their produce in our store each morning, and a string com- 

 ing all day, and the next morning they could go into our 

 office and get their money all in a lump to take back with 

 them, and I am pleased to say that already we have had 

 several come to us, asking if we would handle their pro- 

 duce the coming season, and men, too, that we did not 

 have last season. No; I contend you growers better pay 

 ten per cent commission for selling your goods to some 

 good commission house, rather than to spend your time 



