Milford chronicle., 1883-03-23
FRUIT EXCHANGE.


maading tho cooperation Of the masses Th'
results have been most gratifying to the projec
tors and most beneficial to the siatr. Frui
Evaporation was a longer fight. and harder
one. Won, necessarily, by processes differing il
many particulars from those Of the former con
: test. but nstured with equal care aud urgeC
with equal peraiteucy. It's victory is won, in
so-far as the orchards have been saved tba
we're threatened with the axe; bat oil III
trophies have not yet been gathered, II indeet
all lis enemies have been driven from the field
We suspect that from the ''last ditchesn o.
patent litigation its effort to clear the field may
prove hand to hand contest in the early future
The project Of a Fruit Exchange was arsl
named asout 1875. Its friends hesilated for 9
long time at tho threshold of the contest, fol
want Of clear revelation Of the methods by
which they might command the complete CO.
operation Of growers. It was thought last fall
that the time had fully come to lay the matter
before the people for agitation, and If public
sentiment was ripe then to press the contest 10
an issue. "He that girdsth on the harness may
rot boast as he that taketh il Of" No one may
rashly affirm that Fruit Exchange will be con
difficulties as are incident to the business; but
beyond the fondest hopes OF its friends the pr, '
ject has ripenei with the people, until it may be
conhdeatly predicted that the Exchange will be
established this season.
Mr.. C1rsa recently embodied his views 10 the
following letter TO EUey EUening:
The communications in Every Eoentng Of
March 9th, relative to the establishment OF fruit
exchange, were read with much interest You
may no doubt do good work for the enterprise
by obtaining the views and conclusions Of the
growers manufacturers and dealers who have
given this subject mature thought; but from all
such as have not Ploided through the details OF
the proposed exchange you will receive the opin-
ion that it is chimeHcal and impraotcable. The
warmest friends of the exchange to-day, are
those who az the frst feared its Impractcability.
The tone Of some Of your correspondents on
this subject gives the surest evidence that they
have given bu. little thought TO the subject, and
that they are not at all posted in the complete
system proposed by the friends Of this measure.
Let me enumerate the objections named by
your correspondents and show il can, how
these obstacles are not the greatest ones feared
by its friends. Wilmington is spoken Of by your
correspondents as point Of redistribution and
place of detention to the fruit; or, as some put
it 10 other words, "This exchange will cause de.
lay in the prompt delivery OF fruit in the mar
kei."
It has never been contemplated that bulk
should be broken at Wilmington. or at other
points short of the market to which the fruit is
destined; hence there would be saved IN the
contemplated change much time that is now lost
at Philadelphia, Jersey City. and other points
and, the very reshipment that is complained Of,
and which now takes place At the points named,
would be avoided.
A prominent gentleman writes; "You had
just as well propose to Philadelphia, New York
and Boston merchants to do their importing
from abroad through your city as to undertake
to compel fruit dealers to come to Wilmington
to purchase their fruit OF to endeavor to induce
the growers to patronize your exchange"
The expression l quote not for the sake OF
provoking any newspaper controversy Growers
have never gained anything by controversy,
but rather have been drifted from their objsct) |
but because the expressions are those Of objec- |
tors who have not carefully examined the system |
OF the exchange.
II Philadelphia, New York and Boston capi- |
talists make no objertions to order their iron
ships, their cars. their carriages &C., from vii.
mington, it is because they can do better there
than elsewhere, and for the sane reason they
will make no objection to buying their fruit in
Wilmington. To insure this the exchange must
be made an improvement upOl the present
system. Now the present system is not so near
perfect as that it may not be improved upon,
without any very great tax upon tho latent
energies and method Of our people, In the plan,
as contemplated, the fruit will be more perfectly
sorted and graded, (not at Wilmington, as some
have enormously conceived, but at the shipping
GtatonS.) The minimum ofdelay will be obtained
between the orchard and lhe consumer, and the
fruit will go directly TO those points needing It, in
quantities only sufficient to supply the demand,
according to the judgment oi the dealer who
buys.
A few arguments as to whether this will be
better for the dealer and the consumer, after
which we will pay our respects to the second
part Of the honorable gentleman's objections
Leading merchants in every city iud more
difficulty in estimating the probable supply OF {
ruit their territory will receive under the present
than in all other difficulties Of the {
business combined not one Of them is safe in I
buying for his own market, and the practice that
'arly prevailed among them Of buying for their {
in other cities may now be done only c
It great risk. Such dealers have a good idea I
y the demand at different poiuts, and through
ueh an exchange they may study the supply to
uch points to a certainty that will often make {
hem buyers in the exchange with strong pro- '
liability Of profit to themselves. It is not ex- '
,ected that such merchants will attend the ex- [
hange in person, but haviOg chair there they S
viii buy through their agent, and with q GER n
anity in their market that may far surpass q
nything under the present management, they Fl
7ill often become buyers Of large blocks OF n
rhine fruit. n
A large proportion Of the fruit. butter houses, Il
anneries and evaporators may be counted on to
cal with such exchange quite as they now deal 81
18th tho city markets, having there standing or. d
ers for all berries and other fruits that shall not ~
IN above a certain figure. OF course ali deal.
70 would count the expense pi moving the fruit a,
ON Wilmington to its destined market and @
lake their bids accordingly, and by SO much il
ould the quoted price be lower than It some n
mes is under the present system but the net A
sults to the growers and the margin 70 dealers 4
ould undoubtedly be more certain. r,
As an argument in favor Of establishing the IA,
Sehange. we have to report that dealers In the
ties with whom we have talked, are heartily in rs
vor Of the exchange. We quote from one Of m,
o largest dealers IN Philadelpia: "You have =,
II hearty cooperation with you, and hope your in
eeting may be a success, and that the interes,
the trade may be benefited" N,