TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



27 



SECOND DAT-WEDNESDAY. 



December 13th, 1899. 



Topics for the Day: Establishing a Free Public Market for the Sale of 

 Perishable Products; 

 Organization and Cooperation among Producers; 

 Foreign Competition. 



At 9:30 a. m., President Cooper called the convention to order. 



THE FREE PUBLIC MARKET PROJECT. 



Edward F. Adams, of Wrights, submitted the following report on 

 establishing a free public market for the sale of perishable products, etc. : 



Me. Pkesident, Ladies and Gentlemen : In the autumn of 1895 a commission firm 

 in San Francisco cheated a widow of Santa Cruz County out of 15 cents on a box of 

 grapes, and the widow kicked. When reproached for its act, the firm set up in defense 

 that it was the custom of the trade ; it said they all did it. When the young man — a 

 son of the widow — inquired of certain firms to which he was referred by the offending 

 salesman, the- statement was confirmed. The young man was informed that the pro- 

 ceeding was perfectly regular, and some surprise was indicated that any fruit-grower— 

 and especially a widow— should attempt to kick up a disturbance about a little thing 

 like that. Out of that transaction grew the great free market controversy. 



This widow of Santa Cruz County was plucky, and, considering that an insignificant 

 transaction, in which the facts could be definitely proven, brought up all the essential 

 facts in an important matter, would have been disposed to tackle any single firm in the 

 business, but when it came to a fight with the entire commission trade she considered 

 herself outclassed, and therefore appealed to the local Grange of which she — and, as it 

 happened, myself — was a member. Tbe Grange did not feel quite sure of itself, but, 

 trusting in the Lord, put a stone in its sling and went out to meet Goliath. It was a 

 pretty fight, but the Grange catapult lacked power; it biffed the giant good, but did not 

 fetch him. The Lord seemed to be on the side of the heavy artillery. The press of the 

 State, however, took up the question and freely agitated it; in due time a mass conven- 

 tion was called by the State Board of Horticulture, which met in San Francisco, on 

 April 6, 1895. Subsequently another mass convention was duly called, this time at 

 the suggestion of the Board of State Harbor Commissioners, and met in San Francisco, 

 February 23," 1898. Both these conventions, after thorough discussion, adopted certain 

 definite instructions to the committees which they created to take charge of the move- 

 ment. The resolutions of the two conventions were identical in principle and corre- 

 sponded substantially with the propositions originally laid down by Highland Grange. 

 I was the chairman of the committee originally appointed by Highland Grange to take 

 up the case of the widow, and have also been chairman of the committees appointed by 

 the conventions, and as such am in a position to say, and do say, that not one move- 

 ment has been made in the matter by any one purporting to favor the Free Market 

 except in literal compliance with the instructions of large conventions of producers. 

 For whatever has been done, therefore, the producers of the State, as represented in 

 almost every organized body of them, are directly responsible, and not any individual. 

 The producers of the State have used every effort possible to obtain the Free Market in 



