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The Chairman (interrupting): Mr. Stephens, this session is confined 

 strictly to the question of transportation. 



Mr. Stephens: That is what I am getting at. I wish to show through 

 the arguments that have been adduced that there is no relief through 

 cooperation. Mr. Hersey yesterday, in his arguments favoring coopera- 

 tion, showing the great benefits to be derived therefrom by the producer, 

 cited the fact that a commission man in the East, in order to break 

 down and demoralize the dried fruit market, sold short a car of dried 

 peaches at about one cent per pound less than the price fixed by the 

 Dried Fruit Exchange, and that the party making the sale, in order to 

 meet his obligation, had to ultimately pay the price thus fixed, thereby 

 losing over $700. This transaction was given as proof of the great 

 benefits to be derived through cooperation. No doubt much good can 

 be accomplished through cooperation for the dried fruit interest; but 

 the same rule will not apply to green fruits, for the reason that they 

 have to be placed upon the market when ready, with no option as to 

 time, and if cooperation is the only source of relief, the man who sold 

 "short" could go into the market and buy at his own price. In my 

 judgment but little relief can come from cooperation in handling green 

 fruits. So far as information is concerned regarding glutted markets, 

 I think 1 can safely state that so far as distribution was concerned 

 last season there were many days and weeks that there was no market 

 in the East that paid a profit on green fruits. And if that were the 

 case, where would you have diverted the fruit? Where could you have 

 sent it? 



A Voice: Develop new markets. 



Mr. Stephens: Develop new markets? You would have had to go to 

 some other place than the United States, because in the East almost 

 every market was developed. Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, 

 Kansas City, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Buffalo, Boston, Pittsburg, Cleve- 

 land, Omaha, all those markets gave losing prices. And of Avhat value 

 would be your information as to the number of cars that were going to 

 Chicago, or New T York, or any other place? So far as the question of 

 one auction house is concerned, I believe that is good. But so far as 

 one agent is concerned, I do not believe that would do. It is well to 

 have only one auctioneer. I believe that every man who owns an 

 orchard and ships a box of fruit should have the right to name his con- 

 signee. Because if the entire fruit is centered in one house, there is no 

 incentive for getting the highest possible price. You cannot get relief 

 in cooperation for the purpose of distribution. And you cannot get 

 relief in any way except in lower rates of transportation. Now, so far 

 as the post office question is concerned, and this Government taking 

 hold of this matter of transportation, and the fruit being shipped by the 

 Government, I presume every gentleman here, and every person who is 

 interested in fruit growing, would be glad to have his fruit shipped by 

 the Government. But it will take a long time to bring that about. 

 There can be no relief from that source until after we are gone and our 

 orchards are gone. And from any standpoint that you please to discuss 

 this proposition of transportation and marketing, there can be no relief 

 except by reduced rates of transportation. 



Now I believe that if at the proper time your committee in the proper 

 manner should present these facts to the railroad company, having 

 gathered statistics that individuals would give them, showing how many 



