PROCEEDINGS OP NINETEENTH PRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 25 



delivered, and the auction room is on the other side of the street. The 

 auctioneers take turns. In that way they each get an even opportunity. 

 In Liverpool and London, where the same idea is carried out, they 

 limit each auctioneer to half an hour. A sells for half an hour, and 

 when he is through, B steps up, and then A, and so on. In that way, 

 there is an even chance all around. 



Mr. Block: It looks to me, while I believe that Mr. Day means to be 

 honest, there are some expressions in his letter which appear odd to me. 

 He says there is more demand on the Erie, and that people go there to 

 bid, while they send their employes to the West Shore. Now, 57 per 

 cent of the fruit was shipped over the West Shore, and 43 per cent was 

 sold on the Erie. Do you mean to say that I would go to the place 

 where the least was sold, and send my employes to the place where the 

 most was sold ? Very strange. It beats my comprehension to know 

 what we are going to do. In fact, our agents are of no use to us in this 

 matter. I told our agent to do such and such a thing. You must tell 

 your agents what you want them to do. That's the style. Let us quit 

 cutting each other's throats. Let us stop taking the bread and butter 

 out of the mouths of our neighbors. Too much is left to the agents. 

 This thing is taking the bread out of my mouth as well as out of that of 

 my neighbor. It is not what the agent wants to do, or not to do; it is 

 what we want to do. The agent is our servant, and if he will not do 

 what he is instructed to do, some one can be found who will do it. Now, 

 gentlemen, let us find a way and decide what we are going to do. An- 

 other question: " Would it not be better for us to ship by the road which 

 gives us the best returns?" Now, gentlemen, I am not prejudiced in 

 favor of either the Erie or the West Shore, but the change to the West 

 Shore has been a great benefit to us all. I have shipped fruit over the 

 Erie road for the past eight years, and have got my fruit to New York 

 in thirteen or fourteen days. Over the West Shore, this year, I get 

 there sometimes in nine days, sometimes in ten days. That much we 

 have accomplished by taking this road. The Erie road has never made 

 a concession. I think the best way to settle this would be to appoint a 

 committee from each side, and let them put their heads together and 

 consider the question, and then let the grower decide what he wants. 



Mr. Rutter, of. Sacramento: We know, from the past history of the 

 California Fruit Union, that when we wanted an agent at Chicago, Porter 

 Bros, were selected to receive our goods, which I very much opposed at 

 the time. On account of this there was a withdrawal of some of the 

 leading shippers of California fruits. Now, we have got a good many 

 California fruit shippers and growers. Any other name would have 

 answered just as well, but they insisted on Porter Bros. We have got 

 Porter Bros. & Co. and Earl & Co. in this institution. There are a great 

 many exceptions taken on account of these two leading firms saying 

 how our fruits shall be disposed of, and they have cinched us to their 

 heart's content. Now, I am unpopular with them, but I say to the fruit- 

 growers, it is time for us to start in and get up and say something, and 

 say that we want to do this business in a business manner, and do it in 

 our own jurisdiction. We can ship the fruit without these men. They 

 are expensive luxuries, and this convention to-day should take steps for 

 the purpose of overcoming these evils, as coming from intelligent men, 

 and not have them say that they own us, or dictate as to how we shall 

 dispose of our fruits. I do not acquiesce in the views of those leading 



