DRIED FRUIT AND NUT ASSOCIATIONS- 479 



ress been made in getting mone}^ but the very memoiy of the 

 movement begun so enthusiastically had almost faded from 

 the public mind. 



The directors, however, were determined men, and some of 

 them, especially, were so prominently and publicly connected 

 with the movement that they could not, without great morti- 

 fication, see it fail. It was determined, since volunteer effort 

 produced no results, and there was none of their number who 

 was able to leave his own business, without compensation, to 

 visit the individual growers, to see what could be done by 

 paid service, and one of the directors was chosen manager, at 

 a moderate compensation, and instructed to proceed and com- 

 plete the organization, which he accordingly did, but instead 

 of accomplishing it in a few weeks, as was expected, fully six 

 months were required, during which the manager received 

 some paid and a great deal of volunteer assistance. It was 

 found that the growers wiio, when assembled in convention, 

 seemed ready to mortgage their farms for the sake of coopera- 

 tion, would do absolutely nothing towards establishing the 

 business, except as solicited with the same tact and vigor that 

 is required in selling patent rights. The exceptions were too 

 few to be taken into account. At the end of six months some- 

 thing over $18,000 of stock subscriptions had been secured, 

 at the cost of over $1,400, including all the preliminary 

 expenses, and the total number of subscribers was less than 

 the number present at the conventions, where they could have 

 subscribed with no expense to anybody. The average cost of 

 a subscription was $3.00, exclusive of time spent by volunteer 

 canvassers. Three hours of earnest work was frequently 

 required to obtain one name, and many individuals required 

 visiting several times. Such work must be expected by the 

 promoters of all cooperative societies. 



In beginning the canvass some time was lost in seeking 

 to enlist the local buyers. It was the desire of the promoters 

 to unite all interests and make an organization sufficiently 

 powerful to control the dried-fruit business of the valley, 

 and, as already stated, four or live directors were buyers 

 but it was found impossible to enlist the buyers as a class. 



