Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-25

ing, distributing and selling California fruit in
Eastern markets; therefore, by this Convention
OF fruit-growerS assembled at San Francisco
this 24th day of September, 1888, for the conSid-
Grafton of the subject be it
ReSolUed, That the following plan of action be
recommended to those engaged in raising fruit
In this State; First The Incorporation by them
OF county frUitgroweTS' shipping companies.
Second-Ihe incorporation OF e State fruit-grow-
ers shipping company, on the lst day of No
vember, 1885, at No. 40 California street, San
Francisco. by Board OF Directors, consisting of
one Director elected for that purpose by each
county organization III existence AT that time,
10 act as such directors of the State organization
for the period of one year, as representative of
his county organization, with power to take and
subscribe for, as Trustee of his county organi-
zation, an equal and proportiOnate share, ac-
cording to the number Of Directors. of the CAPT
tai stock of ten thousand dollars of the State
corporation.
Mr.. Aiken, speaking to the resolution,
said the first needed thing was organiza-
tion. Mr.. Towne of the railroad company.
had asked him why the frGit-growers did
not organize and sell their own products at
the East, as that would at once give them
greatly increased returns. The reply was,
" We cannot, for want of money" Mr..
Towne replied that they did not need
money, they only needed confidence: that
if they organized, so they could operate as
they should, it would give the railroad peo-
pie confidence in them, and their object
would thus be accomplished.
Mr.. EStee wanted q State Fruit-groWers'
Association incorporated, but he was not
favorable to so much machinery as to have
branch corporation in each county. 1t
would be more work than for each man to
conduct his own selling, as they do now.
Let there be one State corporation, a id let
its stockholding be made up of small
amounts of stock and held among greatly
diversified holders. He thought more ma
chinery than this would result in weakness
rather than in strength.
A. Block, of Santa Clara, thought all the
proposed plans in the nature of how not
to do it." In this section of the State the
shipping of fruit is now under one-man
power, having $250,000 of capital. He
wanted such action taken as would place it
in tl'e hands of the growers, or an organiz-
alton of them, and unless this could be
done he should quit fruit and go into hog
raising. He was regarded he said. as a
very successful orchardist, but present
prices would not pay him, and he would
not continue in the business unless relief
and improvement could be brought about
He wanted such organization of fruit
growers as would act in harmony and for
their individual and collective interests
He said he understood that Gamers and
"
sions from the railroad, and if fruit-growers
combine and become large shippers also,
they would be entitled to and obtain all
advantages that are afforded to Gamers and
other large shipping companies.
A. Dennis, OF Alameda, had found by
experience that apricots could be sent East
and delivered in good condition His were
nine days en- route and arrived in good
order and brought excellent prices.
Governor Leland Stanford was then in
vited to address the Convention, he being
present, and, having listened to the propo-
sitions made and the remarks of the speak
ers, the Chair invited him to give the Con-
vention his views upon the subject The
Governor, in responding, spoke substantial
ly as follows
learn, not to instruct. find by the discussion
that men are very much divided in opinion. 1t
is plain to me that if you are all agreed upon
your plan OF action, you can find q market for
all the fruit of this State. 1t behooveS every man
who is interested in fruit growing and the well
fare OF the State to study this question thor
oughly; have given it some little thought, but
not such as to enforce any particular line of
consideration. have not that confidence in
the present opinions have upon the subject as
ent1tle them to be put forth in the form of
matured plan for action; but / am confident
that if the interests of the fruit-growers are to
be best subserved, there must be thorough or
ganization, and that organization should be
so broad TO include every fruit-grOWer
who wishes to participate, or be included in II.
There are fifty millions of people on the other
side of the continent who wish our fruits if they
can have them at fair prices-at prices which
they can afford to pay. Now, ! do not know
precisely how you may best proceed to place our
fruits there at such prices but ! believe you can
organize in such manner, and so cooperate,
that your fruit may be properly collected
graded and shipped, so that ali now produced
here may be sold, and at remunerative rates
The fruit could be collected at such central
points as Los Angeles, San jose Fresno, Stock
properly graded, and then shipped to the East
and at prices that every one in the Eastern
States, in all little towns, could partake of our
trult. 1t appears to me that in organizing the
fruit men might first have head organization;
and then others as branches, and these have
their proper agent to grade and attend to MAX
ing the shipments. / would have agents who
should receive salaries for whatever services
they rendered. Those who grade the fruit
should not have any possible chance TO have
an interest in the result of their work-the
manner in which the grading shall be done
Your Convention has already appointed q
committee, and that committee can so arrange
this matter that plan may be entered upon
that Will enable our fruits to be furnished To the
people at the East at fair prices. and not as
cherries have been, at ninety cents pound
Even as cheap a vegetable as cabbage is shipped
to the East from this State and sold at fair
prices, and if that can DC done you will certain
ly be able to do as much in the direction of
our fruits The price now charged for
per carload-has little to do with
the price OF fruit when it arrives at the East as
you will readily see, when cherries are still at
ninety cents per pound. What we need in
this fruit question is to get it down with
in the reach of all at the East
The possibilities of this State are very great
from fruit production. AS ] have said believe
that the fruit growers should be able to organize
IN such manner that all fruit can be disposed
OF, and every man treated fairly. The whole
thing depends for its success upon the manner
in which it was organized. viii be pleased to
do all in my power to make the movement of
the frult-groWerS success.
The remarks OF Governor Stanford were
greeted with warm applause.
Hon. NJ. NJ. Estee offered the following
as his plan:
First-Freight for shipment of green
fruit East is too high. To remedy this we
must combine both our influence and the
of freight which is to be shipped.
so we can command low rates and quick
by reason of regular and
large shipments.
Seeond-IncOrporate a fruit-growers' as
sociation, each fruit-grower to take but one
share of stock if he so desires. Let this
association employ an agent to prepare
shipments, furnish cars and information,
but not to sell our fruit
Third-Let each shipper sell his own
Al UT last, VI CcUSlS1 the same 10 WlOln he
pleases, and where he can get the largest
prices. Our agent here and there should
furnish the information to shippers as to
the places where large shipments of fruit
have been recently made; all fruit-growers
to receive all information by our agent.
whether stockholders or not on payment
of such reasonable fee as may be fixed.
Abbott Kinney offered the following res
olution:
Resotued, That it is the sense of this meeting
that no organization or person should receive
rates or privileges that viii operate to force in
to belong to or ship through any such
or person. We believe that the
rates on fruit shipments should be reasonable
public and equal fef all.
j. A. Wilcox, of Santa Clara. said that
the people of his section had been con-
sidering the subject, and they believed or
ganized bodies could do this work OF dis
posing of fruits at best advantage. He
offered the following as the rough draft of
a plan which he thought would accom-
plish the object desired. Each community
should have control of the shipping of its
own frait; but there might be amicabie ad-
iustment SO communities could oper tie to-
getheF through a general head, or central
control. He proposed and maintained,
first, that local OF county organization can
better control and manage the shipment 10
the best satisfaction to the shipper; second,
that such local organizations should work
in harmony with each other, and with
State corporation, if there shall be sucA,