TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



151 



I have heard in this paper this morning, I should imagine it was still 

 in existence. The people around Fresno, for whom I think a Mr. Nourse 

 is acting, are calling upon their communities to form separate associa- 

 tions and then to affiliate into an exchange, as was done in Los Angeles. 

 The co-operation of growers is an imperative necessity if we want to 

 prevent ourselves from absolutely going to the wall. We have each 

 been cutting the other's throat for years in placing our products on the 

 market perfectly regardless of whether the market wants as much as we 

 want to put on it or not. Now, if this cutthroat business is to go on, I 

 would much rather it went on in the original style. The point that I 

 wish to bring before you is this, as I have brought it before the Fresno 

 people by correspondence, that if they form another exchange at Fresno 

 on the lines of the Los Angeles exchange, why that will be two strong 

 men competing with each other in place of a lot of small men competing 

 with one another, and in my judgment it will be more injurious than 

 the old form of work. I have represented to Mr. Nourse that if the Los 

 Angeles exchange is worthy of support, the Fresno people ought to make 

 associations there and affiliate with the Los Angeles association. If the 

 Los Angeles association is not- worthy of support, let it be shown, and 

 let the Los Angeles exchange be dissipated and let there be one formed 

 at Fresno, if they can form a better one. Let there be but one exchange 

 to operate the deciduous fruit business, just as there is one exchange to 

 operate the citrus fruit business. The citrus fruit business has been 

 conducted very successfully, and it has been accomplished by one cen- 

 tral authority. I wish to represent, in the presence of Mr. NefF, who is 

 the manager of this association, that there should be some official com- 

 munication with the Fresno people to prevent the formation of two 

 exchanges of the dried fruit people; that the two interests should be 

 amalgamated. And I should like to know what Mr. Neff may have to 

 say to that. 



President Cooper announced that the Secretary had just received a 

 telegram from Governor Pardee, presenting his regrets that he could not 

 be with the Convention this evening, on account of having gone to 

 Riverside to meet President Roosevelt, and that the Governor promised 

 that on some other occasion he would meet with the fruit-growers. 



MR. NEFF. There has been some correspondence between Mr. 

 Nourse and myself with regard to the dried fruit business, but nothing 

 definite. The intention there is to get the fruit together and hold it for 

 free on board sales, instead of selling it in the East as we have done 

 here through our own agents. And just at present I do not think that 

 that thing can be done. 



MR. HUTCHINSON. The gentleman says he thinks we can not 

 sell our goods if we do not send them East. But I think in our part of 

 the State there is no trouble about that. The men who have been in 



