The record-union., 1892-04-16

S1As9s dAhS. $50
MIA fruit must have the market, but that
we wil& not have it until we go East and
labor for it and get into contact with the
consumers. We must go, not as individ-
uals, but as well-organized, perhaps, in
corporated associations; not in COMPETE
ton with each other, but in harmony and
working for common purpose.
One large retailer told me, when asked
if he dealt in California fruits, that he
had not done so this year-that is, the
late season. When l asked him why
was not the product good, desirable?-he
replied: "Oh, there is nothing like it, but
could not get any. | would touch no
other if | could get that" called on
another and another, and propounded
the same questions. They said: 1T
comes too high for our customers. They
are principally working people," THAT
is strange" l replied, ''and with good
fruit going to waste in California;"
apricots that are very nice" "How do you
retail them ?'' l asked. sixteen cents a
pound" he replied. You can sell them
freely at that price, and fruit SO plenty
this year," sob. yes" he answered !;
''you see, California is the place for the
apricot, and it is cheap, the quality con-
sidered.''
Another retailer, to whom | put the
same questions concerning California
dried and canned fruits, replied mo,
nothing. / have only California-grown
prunes and Fresno raisins."
How do you like them?"
They are very good.o
"Is there need for a French-groWn
prune or Spanish raisins, when Califor-
MIA can produce such as these?'
Not at all, was the reply.
what do you retail these California
products at?"
Fourteen cents pound for prunes,
thirteen for raisins.'
How about other California fruits?
Are not they best, or at least desirable?"
Yes, they are very good, but my GUS
toners, the working classes, cannot buy
them. l can sell them other brands
easier"
That is about the way they all talked to
me. All admitted the excellence of our
products, and that they find it difficult to
procure them. They said that they are
of fine quality, but that there is any
quantity of States fruits, both canned and
dried, in the market, and easily had. I
have arranged with relative in the fruit
trade at the East to post me as to the
wholesale and retail prices of every class
Of fruit goods from time to time, and /
propose to see where the difference comes
in against us.
L called upon a wine wholesaler, and
after long friendly conversation about
California he exclaimed:
"Ah, there is lots Of California wine be-
hind French labels, and your State don't
get the benefit of it. IF it is so good why
don't your people pool their interests and
go into the market right, instead of every
one for himself. They could then put up
the price to right figure and get what
they are entitled to.
There was a time when / looked on this
pooling and combining with good deal
of suspicion, but / must confess I am
pretty well cured of it. It don't always
mean raising tue price, but more to pre-
vent ruinous competition, and it aids
economy in the transaction of business.
Nearly all the leading industries where I
visited are either syndicated or pooled,
especially in manufacturing-suc for
an instance as iron and steel works. l was
told by one that said he knew that for all
iron and steel never was cheaper.
Railroads pool their interests, but
it can't be to raise rates so
as to kill business. 1t is their part to
giXe rates that viii create business, and
L think they most surely understand that
simple problem. We very often accuse
them wrongfully. They can't afford to
waste capital in fierce competition; that
would be properly called bad manage
ment, and only be temporary at best.
I found twenty large breweries con-
trolled by an English syndicate. Still
the price of beer was not raised There
were four more that were not bought by
the syndicate. One of these is the largest
of any 1 found. The largest of all is
working 1900 hands, all told. ascer-
tanned at this place that in st. Louis alone
there are about 10000 employees in the
breweries. Still | did not see any
drunken people upon the streets-a stag
gering fact for prohibitionists.
Now MacSrS E6ifOrS -, 4
ombination be good, and l believe it is.
and to be most economical, why cannot
California producers associate to deal di-
rectly with the manufacturers?
| Nicolaus, Cal. PAT CARROLL.
| Ina conversation with Mr. Carroll. on
on his return from the East, he informed
| a RECORD UNION reporter that when he
! took the price he receives here for died
/ fruit, the cost of transportation and the
| price for which it is retailed in the West
1 ern cities, he found that it is not a oues-
| ton of freight rates, but of the large
margin that is lost in middle handling
| He added that he had authoritative power
/ 10 send samples of hops he grows To
manufacturers. They will then price
! them and inform him, and if he chooses
will receive shipments direct from him
at large saving TO him, and this could
/ be still more increased if q number of
/ hop-raisers would unite with him. He
| said he found also that all families who
| had used California dried and canned
| fruits liked them, but found it difficult to
/ procure them. Also, that it would not
/ be difficult to create wider taste for
/ such California products if knowledge of
them could only be disseminated. He be-
/ lieves that in cities i peddling system to
introduce our products would go long
/ way toward securing us q market for our
4 4 iad md canned frnitc