OOO CALIFORNIA FKUIT SOCIETIES. 



disposition of the people was strongly encouraged by the 

 more disreputable members of the trade, who insinuated, and, 

 indeed, openly charged that those officially connected with the 

 Exchange were receiving large private commissions on all 

 business entrusted to it. These charges, perhaps, the directors 

 and the manager were prepared for, but wliat w^as unquestion- 

 ably a surprise to them was the fact that, well-known as they 

 were, not a soul, so far as M'as ever learned, ever openly 

 expressed his disfaith in the statements, or defended the 

 character of the heretofore reputable men whom they had 

 asked to gratuitously serve them. The result was that the 

 contracting firm speedily became disgusted, withdrawing from 

 the contract after a few weeks, no business ever actually being 

 done under it. 



The directors, however, were determined to struggle on 

 under the load w^iich had been put upon them, and spent the 

 remainder of the season in doing all that could be done in 

 serving the common interest. A little money was from time 

 to time raised — largely out of their own pockets — and the 

 work continued till towards the close of their year. As that 

 approached it was determined to make a final and determined 

 effort. As a result of the whole cooperative movement nearly 

 sixty local cooperative societies were in existence, the majority 

 of which had been established as a direct result of the work of 

 the Exchange, and largely by the personal aid of its officers; 

 so much, at least, it had done of the work which it was estab- 

 lished to do, and it was ready to take the next step, which was 

 to transfer the responsibility for its continuance and mainte- 

 nance to the local societies. To this end a convention of local 

 societies was called. Delegates were sent with written creden- 

 tials from the incorporated societies which sent tliem, and 

 fully authorized to speak for them, up to the point of i)ledging 

 money for the work, for which they had no authority. The 

 convention was in session for two days, and thoroughly 

 reviewed the work of the past year, which was fully approved. 

 The course for the future was adopted precisely as outlined by 

 the management of the Exchange, which involved a definite 



