St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-29
FRUIT MEN COMBINE.
They Want to Avoid This Ruinous
Competition.


Competition.
The Minneapolis fruit men mean bust
ness this time. They are determined to
stop the ruinous competition that has
Tor so long reduced the profits of the
fruit business to such figure that they
almost cease to exist. They have tried
various schemes before now, but none
OF them worked satisfactorily. When
| the system of selling fruit at auction
was begun something over year ago,
the fruit men thought they had found
something that would lessen the evils
| under which they struggled. Expert
ence has demonstrated that the auc-
ton is not the panacea supposed. Now
the fruit men of Minneapolis want to
cooperate with the fruit men of st.
Paul. 1t is proposed to organize stock
company with capital stock of not less
than $4,000. This company will do all
OF the buying for the stockholders. The
formation of the company will not pre-
vent any dealer in the combination from
buying for shipment directly to himself,
but it is thought that the plan will work
so we'll and be of so much advantage to
the buyer that he will never find Occa-
sion to purchase direct. One reason for
the organization of This cooperative en-
terprlse is the course recently adopted
by the Earl Fruit company, of Califor-
mia. This is the firm that started the
fruit auctions in Minneapolis. Through
the auctions the company secured much
business that might have gone to other
companies. Not content with that, the
Earl company opened branch house
that came in direct competition with the
Minneapolis houses. That was the last
straw. This company will endeavor to
do other things than buy fruit. 1t will
seek to get more favorable rates from
the railroads, and to secure the cooper
alton OF the railroads in crushing out
the dealers who have their offices on the
curb stone and who do so much to para
lyZe the trade.
In discussing this new deal yesterday,
Mr.. Corbett, of Arnott & Corbett, said:
1--WE have not organized any trust Or
combine; we have simply formed CEN
trail organization, with the end in view
OF correcting the abuses which have
crept into our way of doing business.
Each firm in the organization will re-
tain its individuality in every way. 1t
will surrender nothing to the central
organization. Each firm will have it's
own name, its own members, its own
patrons. 1T is in no sense trust. We
are going to incorporate under the
@'N'S Va WV OtN0Ss VII III
corporation is now at work. We have
voted upon this thing, and we are unan-
imous, both in Minneapolis and st.
Paul, that this is the correct step to
take. We are not organizing to do any
thing but to protect ourselves. Let me
give you an instance: Some time ago
an outside firm sold apples to st. Paul
jobbers. After they had supplied all
they could at 50 barrel, they put
man in the field selling the very same
apple for $3.50 per barrel, and having
man go about the city finally peddling
the apples out in three and five barrel
lots where they couldn't sell more. This
is one of the evils we propose to cor
rect"
The following Minneapolis firms will
go into the deal:
Arnott & Corbett. Beebe & Co., Bradbury &
Hall. G. a. Castle, E. a. Farmer & Co., FIeber
d Co., Ginter d Co.. Hillman Bros, L. Long
fellow & Bros. F. P. Lowell F. G. O'Bren,
Paris Merton Company, Butter Bros, Potter
Lucas Company, Remind & Nash. II. S.
Smith & Co., j. A. Shea & Co., John j.
Sleavin & Co., E. P. Stacy & Sons j. W.
Stevens d Co., Tilton Commission Company,
Walters d Wagner