16 



PROCEEDINGS OF NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



of buyers to attend their sales, strained every point to ship abundant 

 supplies, regardless of what the other faction might be sending to the 

 same point, so that the principal markets were kept overloaded, while 

 perhaps some of the minor points were kept bare. Nor was this the 

 result of ignorance, which might have been pleaded in former years. 

 The daily " bulletin " showed plainly what was on the way to the various 

 markets, and when larger quantities than the conditions justified were 

 shipped to important points, it was done knowingly and to the injury of 

 all concerned. With a consolidated salesroom established, there would 

 be no need of straining to have the largest showing of fruit, in order to 

 capture the largest attendance of buyers at any particular pier. The 

 receiver, with but one carload of fruit to offer, would, in common with 

 his rival having several carloads, get the benefit of all the bids of all 

 the buyers, who would be brought together in one spot. 



Concerning the Chicago situation, an attempt was made during the 

 early part of the season by the Chicago buyers to force the Union Auc- 

 tion Room to become a closed auction. Failing in this, the buyers 

 established a rival auction house under the name of the Merchants' 

 Auction Company, secured another railway terminal, and began to hold 

 opposition sales, in the hope of destroying the work of the California 

 Fruit Growers and Shippers' Association. The season's experience has, 

 I think, made it plain to the Chicago buyers that it is unwise for them 

 to attempt to keep out any class of buyers from the auction room, and, 

 unless I am greatly mistaken, I am of the opinion that they are ready 

 to consent to auction rooms open and free to all buyers. 



The best conceivable condition for Chicago is to have as a consolidated 

 room a terminal free and open to all railroad companies, as well as to 

 all buyers and all auctioneers, in order that the grower may have the 

 privilege of routeing his fruit over one of the several roads entering Chi- 

 cago. This condition was not possible to bring about at the beginning 

 of the season of 1895. I believe it is possible to bring it about for the 

 season of 1896, provided the growers and shippers at this end act as a 

 unit and cooperate in harmony with each other for their common good. 

 In order, therefore, that this matter shall be brought before this conven- 

 tion for discussion and for action, I shall close my report by the pres- 

 entation of the following resolutions for your earnest consideration: 



Whereas, The fruit-shipping season of 1895 has made it plainer than ever that in 

 order to prevent California fruit from coming into needless competition with itself, and 

 in order to give the California fruit-grower the benefit of the fullest and freest competi- 

 tion among all buyers and all auctioneers at each auction point, it is imperative that 

 the sales of California fruit shall be held in consolidated salesrooms, where all buyers 

 and all auctioneers in each city may be brought at the same hour under one roof ; 

 therefore, be it 



Resolved, That the California fruit-growers assembled in State convention, under the 

 auspices of the State Board of Horticulture, do hereby call upon the shippers and 

 receivers of California fresh fruits to cooperate with the growers in establishing and 

 maintaining such consolidated auction salesrooms ; 



Resolved, In order that growers may avail themselves of the privilege of shipping 

 either over the Erie or West Shore railway lines to the City of New York, that it is the 

 expressed desire of the California growers that an outside room be selected, convenient 

 to the piers of the above railroads, to be used as the consolidated salesroom for the City 

 of New York, which consolidated salesroom shall be open to all auctioneers of California 

 fruits upon equal terms and conditions, so long as such auctioneers conduct sales which 

 are free and open to all buyers ; 



Resolved, In order that growers and shippers may have the privilege of routeing their 

 fruit over any one of the several railway lines entering Chicago, that a railway terminal 

 shall be chosen in said city, which shall be free and open to all competing railway lines, 

 subject to the established charges for switching, unloading, etc., and that the auction 

 salesroom at such terminal shall be free and open to all auctioneers upon equal terms 



