TWENTY-NINTH FEUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



133 



to do. This is the first time in the history of the Association that 

 there has been a good squeal from the outsider, and I hope it will not 

 be the last. These gentlemen were selling their goods to the outside 

 packers, below the Association price. They had what they called a 

 soft snap, and their faces would beam with the most gracious smile that 

 you could picture in your mind, and we swallowed it; but one fine day 

 they heard that the prices were going to be raised, and there was a 

 gathering of all the goods they could get hands on. The growers 

 thought they were going to get bigger prices, that the directors were 

 going to play right into their hands, and that they were going to have 

 a fat thing this season. We kept our word with the trade; we raised 

 the price, as advertised, but at the same time we thought it advisable to 

 lower the price on the loose article, and consequently there was a wail- 

 ing and gnashing of teeth for several days afterward. It caught the 

 outside grower and it caught the outside packer, it caught the outside 

 jobber and broker, and everybody else on the outside. We had sold 

 some loose raisins. We guaranteed against a decline. We did not 

 guarantee not to reduce the price, because that Avould have been too 

 soft a snap for the outsider. He is the fellow who is causing all the 

 trouble. To all purchasers at the higher price we made a rebate. Call 

 it a trick, if you wish, but give it a broad meaning. The moment we 

 reduced prices we notified every broker who had bought a pound of 

 loose raisins from us that he was to make out his bill and we would 

 give him the rebate. Now, that is not robbing anybod}^, is it? I pledge 

 you my word I have seen a mass of complimentary letters from com- 

 mercial houses saying that this was the finest stroke that the Association 

 ever made to retain the confidence of the trade back East. 



Xow, some wonder why the sale of raisins has been chopped off so 

 al)ruptly. If after supplying the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New 

 Year's trade there is a surplus of raisins, if it is a short crop, not too 

 much for the Association to carry over, it can be readily sold to the 

 packers to supply the late spring and early summer trade prior to the 

 next crop coming in. But if there is on hand what we call a large 

 ^' carry-over," then it necessarily has to be carried over until the next 

 crop and there is a chance of bucking up against the crop of next year, 

 which would reduce their chances of getting back the money they 

 might have invested. Last year we had a very large crop, but on 

 account of the expectation and the probability of the five-year contract 

 being signed there was encouragement for the commercial packers of 

 this community to purchase the overstock of the Association, what is 

 commonly called the " carry-over." They came in and bid a good, 

 round price, and we sold out all our stock and paid the growers every 

 nickel coming to them before the annual meeting — something unprece- 

 dented in the history of this Association. The annual election went, 



