56 



TWENTY-NINTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



will not be felt that the most vital necessity of the business is secured 

 or the next most necessary reform accomplished. Other reforms and 

 changes will have to and will be made, but little more can be accom- 

 plished until this stumbling-block is out of the way. It is only because 

 of the splendid carrying qualities of the California fruits and the intel- 

 ligent packing and preparing of the same that they have been able to 

 maintain their present position in the various markets, and there is 

 no reason why the industry can not and should not be maintained 

 upon a permanent, stable, remunerative basis on average results for 

 all seasons. 



The past season, by discounting the promised schedule time and 

 figuring upon the probable arrivals in the several cities based upon the 

 actual time being made, very fair comparative results were attained. 

 There were no gluts or comparative over-supplies in any of the markets, 

 and the net returns were fairly satisfactory. How much better they 

 would have been with better time can only be estimated. 



Thus far, out of diverse interests, secrecy, and undue competition has 

 come a measure of order, system, stability, and satisfactory returns, 

 and while to favorable conditions in the East might be attributed a 

 part of the result, it can not be wholly so attributed, because never 

 before in the history of the business have there not been times of 

 glutted markets and red-ink returns from some of the distributing 

 points, and besides, the shipments this year were greater than ever 

 before by several hundred carloads. 



With a proper selection and careful grading of the fruit and an 

 expedited scheduled freight service, and with possible reductions in 

 charges in different ways from time to time, I believe that twelve 

 thousand cars of deciduous fruit can be marketed from California with 

 as good or better results in the future as have ever been attained in the 

 past, and the organization and maintenance of the California Fruit 

 Distributors is a long step toward that consummation. It is a long 

 stride in the direction of intelligent and practical co-operation in the 

 handling of one of California's chief products, with consequent benefit 

 to the whole industry and to the whole State. 



