The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-01-08
It's Enemies at w ork.

Exchange. Ills TouldfkS were uISU pun
lished in the Tampa Journal, and have
been reproduced by a certain class of pa
,pers in the State with apparent delight.
Mr.. Hope claims the fruit he shipped
through the Exchange sold for a price
very little above the cost OF getting it to
market, and that his letters to the bust
ness office remained unanswered. :.
Some people and papers have seized
the statements made by Mr.. Hope, and
are rolling them under their tongues as
delectable morsels and crying in an ex-
ulting voice, eve told you SO the Fruit
Exchange has proved failure"
We consider this great injustice to the
Exchange, because these enemies of the
organization have tried and convicted it
and sent their verdict broadcast through
out the country without giving it an OPP
portunity to defend itself or speak in it's
behalf.
The other side of the story is as follows,
and is furnished by the Editorial Depart
ment of the Exchange:
The $50 boxes of oranges shipped by
Capt. S. E. Hope, of Tarpon Springs, to
the Florida Fruit Exchange were started
on November Is, according to the article
in question; they reached us on the oath
(if the date of shipment is correctly given
in your article, nine days en- route to
Jacksonville); they wereforwarded to our
Philadelphia agent on the same day (the
q loo
night of the 9th sold on the morning OF
the I'd of December; the remittance was
forwarded to Capt. Hope from Jackson
Philadelphia very badly decayed, as en-
dorsed upon the account of sales sent the
shipper, and was sold as damaged stock,
was worth in the condition it was in, and
netting to Capt. Hope $65.84. No COM
plaint has been received from the shipper,
but the Exchange stands ready at;his1re-
quest to obtain the purchaser S affidavit
as to the correctness OF the above1state-
ment regarding the price and coalition.
Papers showing the other statements to
be correct can be seen at this office.
The fruit which Captain Hope has sent
us has been put up badly and so loosely
as to admit the hand between the top
layer and the cover. It's uninviting ap-
pearance and poor condition have been
the subject of comment wherever offered.
Other shipments from him sold as follows:
Received 113 boxes November %; sold
in Baltimore December 3; it was badly
decayed and brought $1.30 in a sale Of
twenty-five lots, all of which brought
from 50 to $3.50, except the above, and
three lots at $1.85, $1.9O and $1.95 re-
spectively. Another shipment was 1OS
boxes, received December 6; sOldin Gin
cinnati an the 10Th, bringing $1.3O per
box, the lowest price realized in the sale,
as was the case in circumstances given.
We mention these facts as bearing upon
the probable correctness of the nOtatlOns
of our Philadelphia agent as to the con-
dition of the fruit in the case in question.
Captain Hop received prompt acknOWl-
edgement of the receipt OF his fruit. Re
mittances have been sent him, as to 9TH
ers, in the regular course OF business,
promptly. But one communication has
reached this office from him requiring an
answer 1t was written December 10,
and the copy shows reply to have been
written; on the 18th.
An organization like the Fruit Ex-
change, with a membership OF about two
thousand, comprising the largest fruit
producers of the State, cannot be injured
by the unsupported statement OF one in
dividual Because a shipper fails to OBJ
tain satisfactory prices for his fruit he
| ,,,uSt not attnmnt tO cast all of the