The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-09-30
Fruit Men Need Better
Time East.
ORGANIZATION IS URGED.
Operation of Chicago Auction Houses
Experimentation of Small
Growers Advocated.

CALIFORNIA state HORTICULTURAL society
held yesterday announced that the session
would be wholly given up to matters in
volved in the district marketing of Cali
fornia fruits.
There was large attendance, and three
hours time was profitabIy spent in free
interchange of views, not only of fruit
growers themselves but of managers of
organizations. traffic men and commission
merchants. Discussion Of the question in
hand brought out prominently and unmis-
takably the one important fact that the
future prosperity of the fruit industry Of
California is contingent on getting the
product to market within the scheduled
time.
S. J. Stabler OF Suffer County opened
the discussion with friendly, neighborly
talk upon the necessity of small organiza-
tons, even down TO hamlets where there
were even not more than half a dozen
growers, and the further necessity of
firm resolution to abide by the will of the
majority. De briefly sketched the history
OF this years organization at \ uba City,
which took in growers for a distance Of
thirty miles north and ten miles east and
west. aud showed how the small growers
the young man just starting and the widow
fun returns for their product.
lie urged village and town organizations
TO keep IN close touch with the State or
CARNATIONS, and thus get at a minimum OF
cost the latest intelligence from distant
markets. He paid a high tribute to the
record Of the California Fruit Union, and
he had no doubt that the same success
wOnld attend efforts of small org MIA
tons. Little communities. by pulling to-
gether intelligently. will receive exactly
the same benefit as the larger organiza-
tons at San Jose or Vacaville.
l.. W. Buck, manager of the California
Fruit Union, supplemented Mr. Stabler's
address with he suggestion that all local
organizations ShOnid work with Z central
organization, which should have control Of
the State. and he further urged the neceS-
sity Of allowing the majority TO rule.
After clear statement of the expectancy
of having a head-center, with power 10
change the route of fruit, and thus pre-
vent a glut in the smaller cities, such as
Kansas City, 81. Paul. Minnea polls, ST
Louis, ne reciied, in answer to inquiries,
the workings Of the ''elosed" auction-roOms
in Chicago.
The California Fruit Union, he said,
was represented in Chicago by the Porter
Brothers Company. which sold the product
At the auctinn-rOOms of the Adams Lewis
Company. There is in Chicago a fruit
about % per cent of the wholesale fruit
dealers. and the auctiOn-room will not rec
O5niZe bids of any except members of the
fruit-buyers' organization. The other 5
per cent are dlsreDutable peddlers. W no
resort to all sorts of low tricks to depTe-
cate the price OF fruit. The organization
has made regulations as to the minimum
number of crates and boxes in a certain
line which shall he included in bid.
The Chicago Auction Company also have
a room which the newspapers have called
the open. market. Their eataloGuea-
which MIR. Buck often saw. disclose the
fact that sales were seldom made to more
than three buyers. while at the CLOSED"
market the catalogues showed the names
of at least nineteenth of the Chicago buy
ers, but none residing outside of the city.
Answering an inquiry as to how the rail-
road service in fruit compared with last
year, Mr.. Buck SAID that early in the sea-
son the service was exceptionally prompt,
but as the season wore on the railroads
seemed to get tired and ''fell down." so TO
speak. Prompt time was the essential re-
durement for distant markets. The price
cut less figure. To get fruit to Chicago or
New York within promised time was
everything. One days delay means loss
of 500 on every carload, and three days
delay usually means entire loss. not only
Of The product but of freight charges be-
sides.
Richard Gray, traffic manager of the
Southern Pacific Company, was next in
vited to speak. He said he came TO listen.
He promised that anything the railroad
CONT any could do TO promote the fruit
industry of California would be its careful
study. He denied that the company han
"fallen down" in its fruit service, and said
it had kept up to the letter and spirit Of its
agreements.
Mr.. Buck-Have not the late shipments
to Chicago and Boston been delayed?
Mr.. Gray-Not through our fault. 1t is
probably true that there were delays on
connecting lines, but we have always i'm
pressed on our connections the great i'm
portance Of time with fruit shipments. We
did all that we could do.
a. @. Freeman, managing director of the
j. K Armsby Company. read a paper
showing that fruit. like all other products,
obeyed the inexorable law of supply and
demand, and that the steadiest market and
best average prices were when the supply
was steady and never in excess of the de-
mand.
Z. ". MasliD, referring to a recent dis
cussOn with the State Board of Trade,
urged that markets be cultivated else
where than the ten or more cities now cul-
tivated by the Fruit Union.
Mr.. Buck related the Improbable exper-
fence with trying to create a market in the
South where California fruit came into
close competition with fruit from lhe West
Indies and South America and showed the
inexpediency of splitting carloads for sale
In smaller cities.
Mr.. Stabler related that he had been told
by Southern Pacific man that the time
would come when $50 would pay for haul
ing a car Of frait 10 Chicago as against
$3.50 the present rate. He hoped the time
would come soon.
Several mem bers. being called on. gave
various experiences with regard 10 ship
ments this season. In all cases of disaster
the loss was due to delay in transportation
and fruit arriving in bad order.
DR.. w. Il. GibbOn of Alameda spoke OF
the necessity Of preserving the integrity OF
fruit the longest possib BILE time. Everything
depended on the endurance of the life of the
fruit.
Nj. Monteagle of Tulare County made a
strong argument for some concerted action
to secure prompt transportation, which
was the vital essence of the fruit Industry.
DIR. A. Il. Perkins of Alameda referred
briefly to the result of his years of labor
in devising q plan for keeping fruit in
transit at the normal temperature of fifty.
five degrees with dry air, which prevented
dampness and consequent decay.
at the suggestion OF President Lelone
the next meeting will be held at San Jose.
in connection with the Santa Clara County