CALIFORNIA RAISIN ASSOCIATION. 459 



least when the pioneers had estabhshed the value of the prod- 

 uct, a class of packers grew up wlio purchased and paid for 

 the raisins "in the sweat-box," delivered at their packing- 

 houses, thereafter tbemselves taking all the risk. This was 

 eminently satisfactory to the growers, and under normal con- 

 ditions would have continued until the Socialists shall be 

 prepared to carry out their program and abolish all profit. 

 Under the actual conditions, as heretofore described, involving 

 continual downward tendency in values, packers found the 

 business too hazardous, and, after numerous faikires had 

 occurred, decided among themselves that they would take no 

 further risk, but would receive the goods in the "sweat-box," 

 make advances upon them, pack them at a fixed price, sell 

 them upon commission, and account for the proceeds. The 

 firms engaged in this business became known as " commission 

 packers." The result of this was that the commission packers 

 had to bear all the odium of the constant sink in the prices 

 of raisins. The growers did not understand that their invest- 

 ments in the way of advances were so heavy as to guarantee 

 their utmost effort in maintaining values, or realize that con- 

 stant underselling of one by another was largely a manifesta- 

 tion of the pressure of those from whom they had borrowed 

 for the benefit of the growers; nor would they learn from some 

 serious failures among the commission packers, from over- 

 advances, that the pressure grew out of real danger of loss. 

 All they could see was that their fruit, when sold, sometimes 

 did not bring the sum advanced upon it, and very seldom 

 much more. Especially was this true of w^eaker growers, who 

 were usually found upon the lightest soil, and whose vineyards 

 were likely to have the poorest tillage, with the consequent 

 lighter crops, and a greater ratio of poorer grapes bringing 

 the lower prices. They found loss and poverty their portion, 

 while, upon the whole, the commission packers prospered, and, 

 with the characteristic common to all unfortunates, blamed 

 everybody but themselves for their trouble. And there is no 

 doubt that, like all embarrassed persons, they paid far more 

 than a due price for service rendered. The packing charges 

 and commission rates generally charged were more than the 



