The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-12-30
.rhe Orange Question"

pies underlying the policy which the
members of the Florida Fruit Exchange
ask our growers to adopt. We have been
gratified by letters from various prom
inent gentlemen, and give, for the further
understanding of this important ques-
ton, a letter taken from the columns OF
a contemporary. 1t Is to the point, and,
if in some respects Incorporate, the
matter is so important as to Justify us in
publishing it even while deprecating the
expressions used. The issue s thus made
up between the two parties, and we shall
make every effort to keep our readers
fully informed of the showing made on
each side. All the parties are we'll known
in East Florida and the grower, we
trust. by the full discussion will be en-
abled to bring a just verdict on case
vitality interesting TO himself, his section
and his State:
NEW YORK, December, 90.
To the Editor of the Times Union:
We have carefully read the answer of
MIR. Greenleaf to Mr.. Merritt's criticisms
upon the Florida Fruit Exchange, as
puOllsntu your ISouc VI lllc 4St, anu
as there is a distinct violation of the
truth in a part of Mr.. Greenleaf's reply,
we .respass on your space to correct 1t.
He seems very free in his denunciation
of Mr.. Merritt, and if we were concerned
in the matter we would speedily call
your readers, attention to various mis-
tatements in other parts of his reply.
This, however, is not necessary as we
have not b,en attacked. He freely &C
cuses Sir. Merritt of writing falsehoods
and the reply shows so much animus
that we are led to ask why is this: We
do not believe in mud Singing" so will
not indulge in the style of language that
MIR. Greenleaf uses in heat. Ii seems
that no one can make an honest criticism
which is unfavorable to the exchange
without at once causing his ire TO rise.
Mr.. Greenleaf says: Il defy any com
mission house in New York or Boston to
show as good an average of sales as the
Fruit Exchange in those cities so far
this seas on, and as to last season let the
testimony of such a well informed
grower as the Hon. L. L. Bishop twhose
agent attended nearly every auction sale
held in New York last season in order to
decide as to their future action who
/ says that in every instance the prices
realized at auction were in advance of
those by outside houses for The same
! quality of fruit"
1t is to these two faisehoods that we
wish to refer. We accept the challenge
and now make the following offer: We
| will give our check for $500 to any char
ity in your city, the selection To be in the
hands of Mr.. &. III. Jones, if we fail to
! prove that so far this season we have not
/ gotten on an average from p to 30
| cents per box above the Fruit Exchange
on sales made on the same day as their
/ fruit was sold at auction, and for fruit
that was no better but in many cases
! worse than that which they sold. We
| will exhibit our books and let a commit
| tee of investigation write to every buyer
/ to verify the accuracy of their figures.
/ This committee to be agreed upon and to
| compose only reputable receivers of Flor
| ida fruit. We are ready to show these
books at once and without placing any
difficulties in the way. So much for that.
| As to the eminent authority referred
| To, we believe he thought so highly of the
! Exchange that he did not have his firm
send a box last season to it, and, if we
are correctly informed, he has not had a
box shipped to the Exchange this season.
| We doubt If Mr.. Bishop made the state
ment he Is credited with, unless accom-
panied by some notifications. but if he
made it unqualifiedly, il betI avs a lamen-
table degree of ignorance, and is untrue.
| We offer our check for another $500 If
Mr.. L. Il. Bishop or his agent can prove
| TO us the truth OF the statement he il said
| 20 have made. They both know in all
/ probability that the same is false, but If
they do not it will not take long for them
to learn so. liz they saw such prices real
! lied, Jrhy do they not ship to the Ec-
change now! Instead of this we find
they have on to-day's steamer 1856 boxes
consigned TO Mr.. l.. j. p. Bishop, and
this is the way the fruit has been COM
ing. This same gentleman will be re
| membered by many to their cost for hav-
ing led the Board of Health to seize lot
| of frozen oranges last season, because he
feared many people whom he did no!
know would be poisoned. We presume
Mr.. Greenleaf is actuated by another
form Of this sort of philanthropy.
As we are the only parties furnish
ing your paper with daily reports from
this market, we wish to refer in closing,
tothe statement he makes: .In conclu-
sion let me caution the growers against
the false quotations sent out by Interest,"
| ed commission houses. They are al
most always at least so cents above the
prices realized, and as they are sent TO
nearly every grower, frequently cause
such rush of fruit to a particular mar,
ket as to completely overwhelm 1t.
We pride ourselves that we have not
allowed a week to pass throughout the
season without sending our market re-
ports to those whom we know personally
or who asked us to send the same. We
do not think Mr.. Greenleaf refers to US,
especially as the writer, when in Jack
sonville few weeks ago. showed Mr..
Pomeroy, Mr.. Greenleaf being out of
the State, letters from some of the most
prominent growers in the State, show
ing IN every case that we had g, item
much better prices than the Exchange.
We have then to say that we Will agree
to refer to any of our shippers to prove
that, as a rule, our account sales have
Melted better prices than were quoted
in our daily kilograms to the Times
/ ITugD3y or tho Veelty p,artat