MARKETING FRUITS 
grower, or he might be honest. There are 
honest men in the business, but they 
have to compete with men who are dis- 
honest. 
The consignment method has the dis- 
advantage of the grower furnishing all 
the fruit, running all the risks of trans- 
portation, markets, the honesty or dis- 
honesty of the person to whom it was 
consigned, while the consignee runs no 
risks, has no capital invested, and is often 
financially irresponsible. There is a move- 
ment now on foot which may result in re- 
quiring the consignee to send to the con- 
signor a certificate from the buyer stat- 
ing to whom the fruit was sold, the price 
paid, the date of sale and other important 
items. “Consigned goods are supposed 
to be the property of him by whom they 
are consigned, to be disposed of by him 
to whom they are consigned.” 
The system might also be improved by 
requiring that persons acting as con- 
signees for the public should give bond 
for the honest and faithful perform- 
ance of the duties of their position. With 
honest and far-seeing men engaged in 
this business, there is a business pride 
in pleasing their customers, establishing 
confidence and continuing in the busi- 
ness, but the system furnishes unusual 
inducements to irresponsible persons. 
The legislature of the state of Wash- 
ington, in 1912-13, passed laws designed 
to protect the grower and consignor of 
products, and to prevent fraud on the 
part of commission merchants to whom 
products are consigned. 
The essential weakness of this method 
of selling anything lies in its violation 
of the axiom of trade “never part with 
your property without a consideration.” 
By this method the producer virtually 
gives away his product, almost his only 
reliance being placed in the honesty of 
those who handle it for him. It is argued 
that the necessity on the part of the com- 
misson man to return a fair price to his 
client in order to retain his business, and 
the “honor of the house,” are sufficient 
safeguards to the grower. 
While indeed there is much to be said 
on this side of the question, it has been 
the sad experience of growers that the 
1261 
“honor of the house” is a vain depend- 
ence and that the only real safeguard is 
a community of interest. This common 
interest is not present. The commission 
man is interested primarily in his com- 
mission, not in the profits of the pro- 
ducer. 
The opportunities for taking advantage 
of the trustful grower are numerous and 
have in the past proven too great temp- 
tations for the commission men, The or- 
dinary grower has no means of tracing 
his product and it is easy to return a 
false report of “arrived in bad condition” 
or other subterfuge to cover up a deal in 
which the commission man has reaped a 
big profit. 
The current expression “As well trust 
your pocket-book to a man you do not 
know as consign your fruit to be mar- 
keted away from home” gets at the es- 
sential weakness of the system. The in- 
jury to the business has reached almost 
the stage of demoralization at times. 
Yet it must be said that the steps by 
which the consignment business grew up 
are perfectly natural ones. 
Selling Agencies 
Lately there have grown up organiza- 
tions known as “Selling Agencies.” These 
agencies, in so far as we can discern their 
purposes and methods, are not much dif 
ferent from “Commission Merchants,” in- 
asmuch as they sell on commission. The 
differences seem to be largely in the fact 
that they are organized in a large way, 
as fruit distributors or sales agents, are 
therefore more responsible and are less 
subject to temptations to dishonest deal- 
ing. They cover a large territory, and 
have good facilities for successful dis- 
tribution. 
They generally publish that they “Have 
no capital stock and are prohibited from 
engaging in the business for profit.” 
They have a “Central Organization,” 
and subsidiary “District Organizations.” 
The management of the “Central Or- 
ganization” is under the control of a 
board of trustees, consisting of one rep- 
resentative from each district organiza- 
tion. 
“The board of trustees elect all the of- 
