b THIRTY-FOURTH FROT-GROWERS^ COXVENTIOX. 



(Imde it and subdivide it into small tracts and give proper water 

 delivery where a man can make a living. 



This thing of growing fruit and farming is not all that it i.s cracked 

 up to be. Sometimes a man makes a very poor stagger at it, like I do. 

 sitting on a stool in an office and trying to farm. Usually we pay for 

 the experience, and we don't get very much revenue in return. But a 

 man who can go on a place and live and farm it ought to be encouraged. 

 We ought to encourage the small fruit industry- as well as the big one. 



The people are settled throughout our city and throughout our State 

 on small tracts. Upon them we have to depend mainly for the public 

 sentiment that creates and makes it easy to accomplish our public 

 improvements, such as tree planting, good streets, and things of that 

 kind. Where one or two men. or a company, many of whom are not 

 living upon the tract, have large holdings, they have very little interest 

 in such things. Sometimes they are willing to pay for them, but they 

 have not the same personal interest in the public improvements that 

 we so much enjoj^ in this city, although we have not made ver\' great 

 progress in them yet. 



So if there is one thought I can leave with this Convention, it is to 

 settle as many people as you can on small tracts, and encoui-age the 

 small industry. I don't know how you will do it. but probably the 

 question will be solved. 



Now, on behalf of the people of Riverside. I welcome all the strangers 

 that are with us, and I am sure you will find that welcome doubly 

 expressed in the ability of our people who are among you in this Con- 

 vention to show you about our city. I am sure you could not have 

 arrived here at a more pleasant time, for ever^i:hing is now at its best, 

 and you could not have seen things at a better time than to-day. I 

 hope you will have an exceedingly pleasant time in our city, and I 

 welcome you to it. (Applause.) 



PRESIDENT JEFFREY. The speaker has certainly given some 

 good advice, and his remarks will be in the library of every institution 

 in the State inside of a couple of months. I hope you will all remember 

 that you are not talking for a little Convention of fifty people. After 

 to-morrow we will have three or four hundred. You are really talking 

 for the permanent literature of the State, and what you say should be 

 delivered with that idea in yiew. We have now in my office in Sacra- 

 mento hundreds of copies, nicely bound, of our last Convention reports. 

 It will be the same with this Convention: and we are glad that the 

 Mayor has given us good advice, especially in the matter of small 

 holdings. Something may develop later in this Convention to show 

 what the people of the city of Riverside owe to the orange growers of 

 Riverside and to the lemon growers, what the business men here owe 

 to these people ; and the more of those orange growers there are. the 

 better for the business men of Riverside. 



As you know, Governor Gillett has been very ill, and very busy even 

 during his illness. When it came time to think of this Convention, he 

 sent word that he would delegate somebody to come and represent him. 

 and he chose Mr. M. Estudillo. one of your fellow citizens. I am very 

 pleased now to introduce to you. as the representative of the Governor 

 on this occasion, Mr. Estudillo. 



