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TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUIT-GROWERS'* CONVENTION. 



body to buy the fruit; that is, in order to keep it from being marketed 

 in the reckless way that business has been done heretofore. What we 

 want is the control of the fruit when it is on board the cars. That is 

 the thing we want, and when we have got that, the disaster back of 

 that is the disaster to the individual grower who sold it for less than it 

 was worth. And I don't think anybody will pay him any more. I 

 don't think there is anybody in this business, from now on, for chari- 

 table purposes. And so, if the grower is forced to sell, as Mr. Stone has 

 suggested, it will be at a low value; and there is no factor connected 

 with this marketing agency that has any inclination to take this advan- 

 tage of the grower. We want the grower to bring his fruit into the 

 marketing system and get its value less the cost for marketing. That 

 is what we want. As you are very well aware, the Exchange was here 

 for years trying to induce every grower to come into the Exchange, 

 where the charge to him for marketing was the absolute cost and not 

 one cent more, and he got the difference. But if there should come a 

 circumstance or condition of things under which it might be absolutely 

 necessary to buy in order to protect ourselves, the fruit might be bought. 

 But even then, it must be marketed through the agency, and that is the 

 one important factor — the control of the product after it is on board 

 the car. 



MR. STONE. I am much obliged for that explanation. One more 

 point, as Mr. Naftzger is at the head of this organization, as I under- 

 stand it: Suppose that such circumstances as I have shadowed forth 

 should take place; will that be within your cognizance, Mr. Naftzger, 

 or could it be done without your cognizance? 



MR. NAFTZGER. Not necessarily with mine. It might be done 

 without. As I have already endeavored to state, the Exchange mem- 

 bership remains intact; no disturbance of that whatever. The Citrus 

 Union, which is the combination of all the other factors that came into 

 this agency, and which is essentially another exchange, slightly differing 

 from the old one of course, that organization puts its packing facilities, 

 packing-houses, all over California, at the service of the growers, and 

 seeks to bring them into that organization to have their fruit marketed 

 through it. Now, if they found anywhere that they were menaced by 

 outside influences, by speculative influences that sought to come into 

 their territory, they might be obliged, under these conditions, to buy 

 some fruit. I don't think that situation is likely to arise; but it is a 

 possible condition, and I should most likely know of it, but it would 

 not necessarily fall under my notice. 



MR. THOMPSON. I understand that the buyers' association, or the 

 buyers' part of the general organization, has a right to receive only 50 

 per cent of the fruit, and that we as a co-operative association, at present 

 control somewhere in the neighborhood of 43 per cent. Now, I would 



