48 BUKLETIX 1237. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
more common for association managers and directors to declare that 
they have "too many members." or more fruit than can be con- 
veniently handled without enlarging the packing-house facilities. 
This condition is due first of all, of course, to the economy and 
efficiency of the exchange service. Another factor, perhaps not of 
great importance, but emphasized in some instances by independent 
shippers, is the fact that in many sections no modern packing facil- 
ities are open to the growers except those of the cooperative associa- 
tions. 
The withdrawal of an association from a district exchange occurs 
from time to time. Such withdrawals are usually of those associa- 
tions that are recently organized or in sections outside the main 
citrus district. The withdrawal of a strong, well-established associa- 
tion has not occurred in recent years. Somewhat more frequently 
commercial companies or individual shippers withdraw from the 
organization. 
As has already been mentioned, the Semi Tropic Exchange re- 
mained outside the organization for two months in 1894, but returned 
before the shipping season opened. With this exception no district 
exchange has ever left the organization. The San Bernardino County 
Exchange filed notice of withdrawal in 1903, as a protest against the 
formation of the California Fruit Agency, but was persuaded to 
remain in the exchange. 
The exchange members, therefore, although they consider a formal 
contract an important detail, do not look upon it as fundamental. 
The fundamentals, rather, are voluntary cooperation and a broad 
cooperative spirit which looks beyond immediate personal advantage 
to long-time results and the welfare of the industry as a whole. 
MEMBERSHIP LOYALTY. 
Membership loyalty is often mentioned as an essential to the suc- 
cess of a cooperative undertaking. There is no doubt that the co- 
operative spirit is strongly developed among exchange growers. Very 
many of them have never marketed fruit under any other system 
and have never considered the adoption of any other plan. In addi- 
tion, the majority recognize that as members of a group they can 
not consistently seek personal advantage at the expense of their 
fellow members. 
Loyalty to the organization, however, does not prevent criticism 
of its real or imagined shortcomings. Local pride may sometimes 
soften criticism of the management of an association, but the activ- 
ities of the central exchange are subjected to a constant and critical 
scrutiny. .The officers and directors of the exchange must be sure 
of their ground; they must be able to demonstrate that the action 
taken in a particular instance was well-considered and, according to 
the best judgment available, in the interest of the members. This 
tends to consultation and the absence of anything savoring of autoc- 
racy on the part of the central office. It does not, however, relieve 
the management from the responsibility of initiating improvements 
and t uking such action as is necessary to correct changing conditions. 
The situation, perhaps, may be summed up by the statement that 
an appeal to tne loyalty i^ exchange members must be based on 
facts and information : it can not be made on the basis of a blind 
faith in the wisdom of the management. 
