TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 67 



support hirn. I will ask Mr. Kearney (but not to go into the matters 

 that are private with him), why in his judgment shouldn't the packer 

 or speculator, whatever you call him who is not a producer, why should 

 he not be eliminated with one stroke? 



Mr. KEARNEY. Mr. President, that is a very important question 

 and one that I have given a great deal of thought to. I have advocated 

 eliminating the packer, and confess to you quietly that I did so to 

 bring him to terms. I believe that it is desirable for the grower to 

 use the skill and business ability of the packers and commission men 

 when that skill and that ability can be used under your own control. 

 I think the packer in himself and the commission man in himself is a 

 very necessary part of the machinery of this business. I do not say the 

 speculator, but the packer and the commission man; and it is always 

 desirable to get the best details available, but they must be under your 

 control. I confess that I am not yet prepared to say to the growers of 

 California, "Do your own marketing." I want to see them develop a type 

 of business ability as high as any in business circles. Some may have 

 already developed it. My view is only as to the raisin industry, and I 

 do not want to say anything that will reflect on any other branch of 

 the business. From what I have seen of the raisin-growers as a class, 

 I am not yet prepared to give them a diploma as business men. 

 [Laughter.] And I think it is well for us, when we can, to get the best 

 business men we can reach employed in our business and get them to 

 do that part of it first. We will do the growing. 



Mr. NAFTZGER. Mr. Kearney stated in his address that the success 

 of marketing the crop and the success of sustaining the prices of the 

 raisins of California were due to the fact that the Raisin-Growers' 

 Association said to the trade — the legitimate trade — " We will sustain 

 the prices for you." The packers didn't say that. The trade did not 

 depend upon the packers or the commission men or middle men to say 

 it, but the trade depended upon the association. Now, why didn't the 

 growers go straight to the association? It is a well-established rule by 

 which the association was able to do this thing. The association con- 

 trolled the product, therefore the association could sustain the market, and, 

 as Mr. Kearney has said, it is not so much the question of price. We have 

 found that in our business it is not so much as to the price that the 

 dealer pays for the product, as it is that he knows that to-morrow the 

 competitor will not cut the ground from under him. He knows the 

 association will not permit the goods to be sold cheaper to-morrow than 

 to-day. Mr. Kearney said, "When you have got control of the market 

 the dealers will fall over each other to find you." Why don't they let 

 the trade find you instead of the business men? Another point is this: 

 I agree with Mr. Kearney on the question of business ability, but don't 

 you think that the business ability that has been shown by the manage- 



