CALIFORNIA RAISIN ASSOCIATION. 465 



paratively few, for the banks could do nothing with property 

 for which there was no sale, and they did not care to draw 

 public attention to the financial condition of the district. In 

 some cases farmers packed up and abandoned their mortgaged 

 vineyards. In many more, they confessed to the banks that 

 they could not pay either principal or interest, and offered to 

 convey the property if the debt were released. These were 

 all urged to remain and pay what they could, or nothing. 



The time was now ripe for real cooperative work. Not 

 only were small raisin-growers in real distress, but the largest 

 financial interests of the raisin districts had become tlior- 

 oughly alarmed. The banks were all strongly connected, and 

 well managed, and there was apparently no fear of their sol- 

 vency ; but one small San Francisco savings bank, which had 

 placed most of its funds in mortgages in the district, made a 

 disastrous failure. Other banks and capitalists had large 

 landed interests in the valley, which were rapidly depreci- 

 ating in value. The entire mercantile community was seri- 

 ously involved, although for a long time credits had been 

 curtailed or refused, and cash payments demanded for mer- 

 chandise. Real estate in the towns became unsalable, and 

 mortgage foreclosures on improved property were frequent. 

 The most capable and influential men of the community 

 realized that tlie time had passed when the strong could safely 

 regard only their own interests, but that all must unite in 

 effort for the general prosperity, in which only lay the hope of 

 prosperity for any one. 



In the spring of 1898, according to the annual custom, a 

 mass-meeting of raisin-growers was called to devise a plan of 

 organization. These proposals had always had the support 

 and counsel of the financial men of the valley, who usually 

 agreed very well in their advice, but could never prevail 

 against the contentions and jealousies which divided the mass 

 of the growers, and which had often been fostered by many of 

 the commission packers, wlio did not desire that their business 

 should be in any way interfered with, and who, by advances, 

 or actual ownership, controlled an acreage sufficient to 

 prevent any effective combination to which they were not a 

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