60 



TWENTY-NINTH FRUIT-GROWERS" CONVENTION. 



well to employ brains ? If you will pardon me I will dwell a little 

 longer on this point, because the employment of incompetent men is 

 the rock that has shipwrecked many a farmer's organization. 



Many of you may have heard of Mr. Pulitzer, the owner of the New 

 York "World." He bought that paper at a comparatively low price 

 when it was very much run down. Being a newspaper man he knew 

 who the best men in the profession were, and by the offer of greatly 

 increased salaries secured their services, built up the reputation of the 

 paper, and made millions of dollars out of the investment. Another 

 example is the New York " Herald," which is the greatest money-making 

 paper in the world, and it has been made so by the Bennetts, father 

 and son, by wise and liberal management. The controller of this paper 

 hesitates at no cost however great to get important news in advance of 

 competitors. 



To take an illustration nearer home. We have a raisin association 

 which handles over 40,000 tons of raisins a year. In my judgment a 

 thoroughly skillful manager, if supported by the growers, could so 

 handle that crop any year as to net the growers 5 cents a pound for 

 their raisins. Last year we obtained 3| cents a pound. This year I 

 fear the net result will not be 3 cents. The difference between 5 cents 

 and 3 cents is $1,600,000 in one season. 



Will any man contend that it would not be a good investment to pay 

 an expert manager $25,000, $50,000, even $100,000 a year, if you could 

 not secure his services for less, to save that enormous sum of money? 

 Apply this to your prune crop, and it will show even larger figures. 



Bear in mind that I insist that the man must have undoubted ability 

 and be worth the money. I claim, therefore, that the right man as 

 manager should be sought for all over the country, that you should 

 if possible secure the most successful and skillful man in the trade, 

 even if you have to buy out his business with him, and if he will not 

 consent then you should make every effort to get the next in ability — 

 and when you have got him don't dream of telling him what to do. On 

 the contrary, support him in all his plans until he proves a failure. If, 

 as has heretofore been shown by your votes, you all think yourselves 

 competent to handle this business, then we must have a bonanza of 

 business ability worth more than all our gold mines. 



No self-respecting man, or body of men, can say that because of 

 failure once, twice, or a dozen times they need not try again. I hope, 

 therefore, that on this day and by this Convention a movement will be 

 started that will redeem our characters as intelligent and enterprising 

 men, and through its resultant prosperity our fruit-growers will add 

 their quota to the renown of this glorious State — California. 



