PROCEEDINGS OF NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 39 



number 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; go 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 on one spot." 



Now, while it is true that there was a glutting of fruits in the market 

 of New York on the part of both sides, it was done by both sides in the 

 existing controversy, evidently for the purpose of having at their respect- 

 ive piers the best assortments in order to attract the largest number of 

 buyers. I had not intended to bring this matter up, but Mr. Stephens 

 has forced it, and since Mr. Stephens has forced the issue, his side must 

 bear the consequence, made plain by the following statement: From Mr. 

 Day's own letter, which was read here yesterday, according to his own 

 statement we see that the Association people shipped less to New York 

 than in former years, while he and his associates rushed their fruits 

 more than ever into the New York market. Hence, who is to blame for 

 the glutting of the New York market? 



The next point that Mr. Stephens raised was his criticism of the daily 

 bulletins. He said the daily bulletins were defective, and he believed they 

 were made so purposely, because, among other things, they recorded so 

 many cars to Chicago, New York, Minneapolis, etc., and at the bottom 

 so many cars to "other points." "Now," he says, "what does that 

 mean? There is something mysterious about this. Those i other points' 

 are used simply to protect somebody." It may be of interest to you 

 gentlemen to know the history of that part of his objection. You may 

 remember that in the early part of this season Thacker Bros, refused to 

 come into the association. The railroad company gave us the full facts 

 concerning all shipments, and we got our information for the daily bul- 

 letin in a reliable and correct manner. We had not been mailing these 

 bulletins very long, however, before we received a communication from 

 the railroad people, saying that Thacker Bros, objected to having infor- 

 mation concerning their shipments given to our association. I therefore 

 called on Mr. Thacker and asked him about it. He said, "We object to 

 having the railroad company give you information, because the members 

 of your association are getting information about our shipments, and we 

 are not getting information about theirs. Besides, we do not want to 

 give you information, because we sell a great deal of fruit to small 

 Eastern points f. o. b. California, therefore it is against our interest that 

 the points of destination of our shipments shall be known." I said, 

 "That's a strong point; I shall look into it further." I then went 

 to Mr. Fairbanks, of the National Fruit Association, who practically 

 made the same statement. To him I also said, " If you will become a 

 member you will get all the information at our command." He replied, 

 "We cannot become members, on account of the present New York 



