PROCEEDINGS OF NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS 1 CONVENTION. 109 



Mr. Sprague: As I look upon it this committee can go ahead immedi- 

 ately and do the preliminary work. Then, subsequently, suggestions by 

 letter will be sufficient, I think, to enable the matter to be finished by 

 means of an executive committee without incurring any great expense. 

 As to dissemination, we will have the aid of the State Board of Horti- 

 culture and the State Fruit Exchange. I do not see that it is necessary 

 to raise funds. 



[Mr. Adams took the chair at Mr. Stephens' request, at this point.] 



Mr. Stephens: Before these resolutions come to a vote, I would like 

 to ask what is sought to be accomplished under them ? My understand- 

 ing is, from the debate which has been had, that it is the desire to form 

 an organization, where local organizations have not previously been 

 formed, in different localities in the State, which will secure the market- 

 ing of our fruit products without consignment. I have inferred, from 

 the expressions of the gentlemen advocating these resolutions, that it is 

 extremely against their interest for growers who are not members of the 

 local organizations or the State exchange to consign their fruit, because 

 their fruit goes in competition with theirs; in other words, that to con- 

 sign fruit demoralizes the business, and that if the fruit can be gathered 

 together and held for a certain period, and that if no fruit can be handled 

 outside of the organizations, higher prices must rule; but that com- 

 petition in the way of consignments is competing with the exchanges, 

 demoralizes the business, and depreciates the values. Am I correct? 



Mr. Sprague: No, sir. The resolutions did not contemplate anything 

 whatever in that way. They rest simply on the basis of cooperation. 

 We do not commit ourselves at all to consignments or no consignments. 



Mr. Stephens: I understand that to be true; but from the remarks of 

 Mr. Righter and others, I understand that in this present season there 

 was a great effort made by the commission men and brokers to break 

 down the Exchange, and if the fruit had all been scattered that it would 

 have been broken down; therefore, the object of this movement is to 

 concentrate and control the product so as to prevent that breaking 

 down. Is that correct? 



Mr. Sprague: It is as you stated last; but I would not have the move- 

 ment hampered by committing itself to any policy. Leave it to the 

 people themselves to determine. This action of the Fruit Exchange in 

 Santa Clara is purely an individual matter. It did not represent the 

 State. Our policy may be entirely different. While it may be entirely 

 different, we may be working quite in harmony, so I would not think it 

 wise to draw the lines. 



Mr. Stephens: That is very true. That is what ought to be done. I 

 am wholly in harmony with such ideas. A great deal can be accom- 

 plished, and depreciated values would cease. Under the laws existing 

 in the past in certain countries there were penalties to fit the crimes that 

 were committed against the laws as constituted by the powers that were. 

 Criminals were placed in a pit and the water turned on. A pump was 

 placed there and the handle was within reach of the culprit, so that 

 when the water came up to their chins they could pump and save them- 

 selves from drowning. My observation is that some persons have prac- 

 tically made laws by which the fruit-growers are bound. There are 

 quite a number of gentlemen here who have been sentenced to be put 

 into the pit, the water has been turned on, and they will have to pump 

 to save themselves. In other words, the commission men and those who 



