CALIFORNIA RAISIX ASSOCIATION. 463 



be more than a day's work devoted to canvassing for each five 

 .names secured; this means, for canvassing the principal raisin 

 district, at least the equivalent of two full years of work by one 

 very competent person, besides conveyances, railroad fares, 

 hotel bills, postage, printing, etc. This work must be prose- 

 cuted in a systematic and orderly way, under the superintend- 

 ence of some capable person devoting Jhis entire time and 

 thought to the subject. Allowing for much volunteer work, 

 a large amount of paid service is also required, as well as funds 

 for general expenses, and no provision whatever was made to 

 meet these expenses. It would seem that signatures could be 

 obtained very rapidly at the conventions, but American popu- 

 lar conventions are assembled for talk, and talk they will to 

 the last moment, and do nothing else; the prosaic work of 

 signing agreements — which are sometimes present, prepared 

 for signature — at once empties the hall. It is found that 

 nothing but a house-to-house canvass will accomplish any 

 considerable results, and the average time taken with each 

 person will be very nearly two hours. And this was never 

 provided for. Another difficulty to be met is the matter of 

 advances. A well-organized packing association, free from 

 debt, can manage this readily, with the aid of the loeal banks, 

 who can deal with the cases one by one as they arise, among 

 them carrying the load easily, providing funds gradually as 

 needed; but when provision is attempted for all in one organi- 

 zation, it becomes a large financial operation, beyond the 

 means of any local bank, and requiring the aid of large cap- 

 italists. This invariably brings in outside people, with or 

 without experience in the raisin business, usually without 

 capital themselves, but professing to be able to ''interest" it. 

 All these were listened to, committee meetings held to consider 

 the high finance of the movement, while meantime there was 

 not a dollar raised to prosecute the organization. These 

 financial propositions, when sifted, were always found to 

 involve elements of security fortlie capital proposed to be sup- 

 plied, which only a strong, thoroughly organized society, witli 

 some capital of its own, could give. While they were discuss 

 ing these things, the organization did not go on; one after 



