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PROCEEDINGS OF NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



On Resolutions. 



Judge W. H. Aiken, of Wrights. 

 R. D. Stephens, of Sacramento. 



P. J. Shields, of Sacramento. 



R. C. Kells, of Yuha City. 

 B. E. Hutchinson, of Fresno. 



On Legislation. 



Hon. Abbot Kinney, of Los Angeles. 

 B. F. Walton, of Yuba City. 



A. T. Hatch, of Suisun. 

 Alfred Holman, of San Francisco. 



A. D. Pryal, of North Temescal. 



REVIEW OF THE WORK OF THE CALIFORNIA FRUIT 

 GROWERS AND SHIPPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



By H. Weinstock, of Sacramento, President and General Manager of the California 

 Fruit Growers and Shippers' Association. 



Ladies and Gentlemen of the Convention: The fresh-fruit shipping sea- 

 sons of 1893 and 1894 were two of the most disastrous and unprofitable 

 in the history of California fruit culture. The growers at the end of the 

 shipping season of 1894 found themselves face to face with a most serious 

 crisis. If the conditions of 1893 and 1894 were to become permanent, 

 the great fresh fruit industry of California was practically doomed to 

 ruin and to bankruptcy, since, as a rule, not even those who gave the 

 closest possible attention to their orchards and vineyards, and who exer- 

 cised the highest skill and practiced the most rigid economy, could hope 

 to make even a bare living. 



It was the realization that a most serious crisis was at hand that 

 prompted so great a number of growers, embracing among them much 

 of the brain, the intelligence, and the enterprise engaged in the fruit in- 

 dustry of the State, to assemble in a State convention just about a year 

 ago this time, in this very building, for the purpose of considering what 

 was best to be done. A full and free discussion brought out the facts 

 that chief among the causes which led to the deplorable results of the 

 two preceding seasons were: First, the constant glutting of Eastern 

 markets, as the result of an unintelligent distribution of fruit; second, 

 the existence of two or more auction salesrooms at many Eastern auction 

 points; and, third, the fact that some of these auction rooms were what 

 is known as "closed auctions," to which members of certain buyers' 

 associations only were admitted. As the result of the fullest and freest 

 discussion, and in order to remedy these serious evils, the following 

 resolutions were unanimously adopted by a rising vote: 



Whereas, Owing to certain causes, the shipping of fresh fruits to the markets of the 

 East has more recently proven highly unprofitable ; and whereas, a continuance of 

 these causes must mean ruin to untold numbers of growers, and must seriously threaten 

 the future of the fresh fruit industry of our State ; and whereas, we have reason to be- 

 lieve that by united action on the part of commercial shippers, local associations, and 

 individual growers shipping in carload lots and routeing their own fruit, many of these 

 caiises may be promptly removed, and certain existing evils overcome ; therefore, be it 



Resolved, That without reference to any great popular movement to unite the fruit- 

 growers of the State in one organization for general purposes, but in addition and auxil- 

 iary to that movement, this convention recommends and earnestly requests the classes 

 of growers and shippers above mentioned to proceed forthwith to organize themselves 

 into a union, to be known as the Fruit Growers and Shippers' Association of California; 

 and be it further 



Resolved, That the purpose of the proposed association shall be: (1) the establishment 

 of a bureau of information to regulate distribution ; (2) to establish one auction room in 

 each city; (3) to make such auction salesrooms open and free to all buyers; (4) to do all 



