PROCEEDINGS OF NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 29 



in relation to what has passed. I want an expression from him regard- 

 ing this matter, and if there is anything to be corrected let us do so, and 

 I hope that Mr. Stephens will come in with us, and let us concur in 

 anything that does not meet his views. 



The motion to allow Mr. Stephens the privilege of the floor was 

 carried. 



Mr. Stephens : I thank you very sincerely and kindly for the compli- 

 ment you have paid me, and thank you very kindly for offering me the 

 opportunity to address you. I regret very much that I was not able to 

 have been here yesterday, and therefore it is unnecessary, and in fact 

 it would be unbecoming on my part to argue this question over again 

 except by common consent, for this convention has taken action against 

 the side I represent. If permitted, however, and if it will not be regarded 

 as presumptious on my part, I will say that there are many things to 

 be considered in connection with this matter; in fact, it is one of the 

 most important questions that can be discussed by the people of this 

 State. There is no question that is equal to it. It is the paramount 

 question of all. We are here to discuss matters that shall be agree- 

 able in disposing of the deciduous fruit product, rather than that of the 

 citrus product. There is no territory on the face of the globe that is 

 equal, in resources or ability to produce wealth, to the State of California. 

 California possesses everything possessed by other countries, and in 

 addition has the capability to produce fruits better than any other 

 country; therefore, it follows that with the proper management of these 

 resources there is no country that can produce as much wealth as Cali- 

 fornia. The fruit-grower in the past has not, as I have been told on 

 several occasions by Mr. Weinstock, received his fair proportion of the 

 profits made from this interest, but, on the contrary, a few men have 

 made all, and the grower sees, in many cases, that his property is passing 

 away from him in consequence of the embarrassed financial condition in 

 which he finds himself. The mortgages are growing larger instead of 

 smaller, and it will not be long before many of our orchardists will have 

 to leave their homes unless some remedy for the now existing evils be 

 found. I am not able to talk on this question as I should like to. I 

 thank the gentlemen who gave me the opportunity to enter my protest 

 against the action of this convention. Now, sir, there is no person 

 here, including myself, who would object to the words contained in 

 those resolutions, but for the reason that last year, after the one auc- 

 tion plan had been adopted, it soon developed that the men who had 

 made all the money for several years past were in absolute control of 

 the organization. They controlled the action of the Executive Com- 

 mittee of the fruit-growers of this State. I am not willing to place my 

 property interests wholly in the hands of one or two individuals, who 

 would use it to suit their own purposes. That is always the case in 

 every great organization. -To concentrate the power to control any 

 interest is virtually placing such power in the hands of one or two 

 individuals, and the greater the interest the more certain it is that it 

 will be controlled in the interest of the few to the detriment of the many. 

 This is natural; this is human nature, and you cannot point to a 

 single concentrated interest in the world that is not controlled by one or 

 two men. For instance, look at the Standard Oil Company — a great 

 paramount interest controlled by a few men. If we acted independently, 

 if we acted as some of the growers on the American River did — appoint 



