The Hawaiian gazette., 1889-07-02
THE BANANA TRUST.

The San Francisco Dealers Kicking at
the COmbination-six Thousand Ba-
nanas and no Buyers-Attempt to
Raise the Price Results DisastrousIy.
The San Francisco Post has the fol-
lowing story concerning the banana
combination formed by Hon. Mark Rob-
inson and A. J. Campbell;
''The local commission merchants are
considerably excited over the attempt Of
the Hawaiian banana producers to form
trust and control the trade with this
country. Mark P. Robinson, the heav-
lest producer of bananas on the Hawaiian
islands, recently formed a compact with
A. j. Campbell, his brother In-law, one
Camarinos and Z. L. Marshall to handle
the entire banana crops of the islands
and dispose of them in this city through
an agency. The trust was to buy up all
the crops and contracts were signed with
ali the producers for that purpose.
Camarinos, who is brother to D. G.
Camarinos OF this city, understands little
English, and in signing the agreement
to deliver over his crops to Robinson and
his associates supposed that it was for
one year, but discovered that he had
signed contract for ten years. He was
also promised that the agency would be
given to his brother in this city, but ow-
ing TO the fact that Robinson held seventy
per cent. OF the stock OF the company the
agency was awarded to Mr. Tucker OF the
Hawaiian Banana Company OF this city.
Robinson recently conceived a scheme to
freeze the San Francisco dealers out of
the trade by shipping the entire product
to Tucker and regulating prices to suit
himself. Camarinos discovered that he
had fallen into a snare, and came up on
the last steamer to make known the
facts of the matter to his brother and
fellOw-dealers in bananas. AS 4 result
the local merchants decided to oppose
the trust by combining their forces.
Robinson, who holds the Hawaiian pro-
ducers down to their contracts, COM
menced receiving their crops and sent
them to this city. On the last trip of
the UmatilIa 6,042 punches of bananas
arrived, all of which, with the exception
OF fifty punches, were consigned to the
Hawaiian Banana Company. On the
olCdL1tI Il llhC dlHOuIlL dIIlNCu
consigned to the same party, and there
were no prospects of any being obtained
by outside merchants.
Quicker, believing that he had control
of the market, raised the price dollar
a bunch and awaited the expected de-
mand, but in this he was disappointed
The merchants had previously decided
not to purchase, but depend upon the
sales of their other fruits for profits.
"As a consequence Tucker now has a
1000 stock of bananas on hand, which
lie is.at loss to know how to get rid OF.
AS the fruit does not improve with age
his company, or trust, will suffer to
great extent from their hard experience
III trying to control the market. The
only means by which Tucker can dispose
of the enormous stock is to supply the
street peddlers with them at cheap
figures and at loss. The estimated
consumption of bananas in this market
is 5000 lunches. Tucker has over I, 900.
The merchants have pledged themselves
not to accept his stock at his figures, and
the probabilities are very favorable for
the collapse of the banana market before
many days are over. fuckers face bears
anything but pleasant smile, while his
opponents are continually laughing
among themselves over their success"