TWENTY-NINTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



67 



in the community where the fruit is grown, a saving amounting to 

 over half the cost of the plant the first year. 



Sunnyvale, a little burg of less than a dozen houses, surprised itself 

 and the neighboring towns to find itself the possessor of a new up-to- 

 date packing-house, built upon the co-operative membership plan, 

 grading, storing, processing, packing, and shipping about three hundred 

 tons and distributing these expenses in its oavu community, with a 

 saving corresponding to that of its near neighbor, Mountain VicAv. 

 Cupertino also followed suit, and the seeds of co-operation are germi- 

 nating all through the district — evidencing the secret power of earnest 

 and honest work. And better than all else, confidence is being 

 restored — that foundation of all permanent and successful co-operation. 



The construction work of the organizer having been accomplished, 

 new conditions are created which must also be provided for. 



The speculating shippers, foreseeing the far-reaching effect of this 

 movement in liberating the growers from the contracts, by a unity of 

 action attempted to crush the movement at the very beginning. Con- 

 trolling the packing-houses, the transportation companies, and the 

 selling agents in the Eastern markets, the future of these young associa- 

 tions was not assuring, and when the older associations of the growers 

 began to furnish supplies to the speculating shippers to break down 

 prices and to close the markets, it was evident that the new associations 

 must represent the future co-operative movement in this contest. This 

 combination of speculating shippers with local agencies and Eastern 

 sellers to depress prices and dominate markets, drew the dividing line 

 between the co-operative and non-cooperative interests sharper than 

 ever before, so that both individuals and associations were compelled 

 to decide between co-operation and non-cooperation, regardless of the 

 name they might assume; and by the conspiracy to establish an inade- 

 quate price for the growers' products, and to force an acceptance of 

 that price by controlling markets and marketing agencies, these young 

 associations were confronted with a problem which older and more 

 experienced associations shrunk from, but with a courage born of 

 desperation ihey accepted the situation and stood by their organization. 



Three things were now necessary: First, a selling and distributing 

 agency so as to reach the Eastern market; second, storage, processing, 

 and packing facilities for such districts as were not included in these 

 organized associations; third, money, not only to do business, but for 

 the growlers to live upon while the fruit was being marketed. 



The co-operation atmosphere was so tainted with the dead and decay- 

 ing bodies of the old associations that it was difficult to reorganize a 

 selling agency in so limited a period without becoming entangled in 

 local jealousies and local business interests or disturbing social or family 

 ties, all of which must be duly considered at so critical a moment — 



