110 PROCEEDINGS OF NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



act with them are depreciating the value of their property. You must 

 understand, that while to a great degree the dried fruit interest is one 

 thing, and the green fruit interest another, yet they are bound together, 

 and one must suffer for the other. Now, there are a great many who 

 are raising what we call shipping fruit, who are also interested in prunes. 

 If they go to the bank and obtain a loan on that property, one is held 

 in common with the other. Many of them are in debt to the banks and 

 commission men, and are bound by contract with the latter to ship their 

 crops through them. I know of one instance where a grower, whom I 

 cannot name, owed a commission merchant $8,000, and was bound by 

 such a contract. He had the money and wanted to pay his debt, and 

 informed the gentleman of his intention. The latter said, "No, sir; you 

 have agreed to ship your crop with me, and I expect you to do so." To 

 hold the grower doubly bound, having ascertained that the grower owed 

 the bank $6,000, he bought that, thus making the grower's obligation to 

 him $14,000. I do not blame the shippers for taking care of their own 

 interests, but it is hard on the growers. Growers thus situated are help- 

 less. If the fruit can be kept from consignment, the prices must appre- 

 ciate. Many of the growers are bound and are not free agents. Many of 

 them have got to scrape and borrow money in order to cultivate their 

 orchards. It is very difficult to go to a bank and get money. Some are 

 trying it now and cannot do it, but the shipper and commission men 

 stand ready and are willing to advance it. 



It is stated that there is no conflict between the California Fruit Ex- 

 change and the Fruit Growers and Shippers' Association. There must 

 be a great conflict, if this proposition be carried out, because their inter- 

 ests lie right in opposite directions. They will work on your capital, 

 and it will be very difficult to prevent them from doing so. Those com- 

 mission men are very good business men. Last season there was very 

 little fruit bought in this State by these men. They had all they wanted 

 without buying. In localities where they could not get consignments, 

 they bought. 



A great many say, " Why do you ship if you are losing?" Why do 

 men ship if they are losing? They ship for this reason: They have got 

 to realize something, or give up their property; they hope that they will 

 get something for it. In nine cases out of ten they get less than cost. 

 My idea is this: I am in accord with you to a very great degree. In 

 many localities they should have cooperative societies, where they could 

 come together in the way stated. The only salvation is in cooperation. 

 Buy a carload of shooks, if you will. Buy two or ten carloads, and you 

 will get it cheaper. Don't do as they are doing in a good many locali- 

 ties where they have those cooperative associations. Most of them pack 

 their fruit and ship it to Mr. Earl o"r Mr. Porter. Establish your own 

 agencies in the East. Make them your agents and hold them responsible, 

 and not Earl nor Porter nor any one else. We have got to have middle- 

 men, but it is not necessary to have four or half a dozen. Cut it down 

 to one. Let him be a good one, but don't have half a dozen. If this 

 plan is carried out, you will then find that you will have only one of 

 these gentlemen to deal with, in place of six who have made the money 

 in years past, and you will protect others in doing so. You can see that 

 then you will be protected by keeping from the control of those large 

 shippers. They will then have to come here and buy your fruit as they 

 used to, and pay for it. That will solve the question if this can be done. 



