The record-union., 1893-11-24

green fruit proportionately to the $780,
900 inhabitants mentioned in the first
table? The answer to this must be that
the population of the cities presented in
in the second table have not had access to
the fruits CT this State, and they were not
accessible either because they were not
offered in their markets or because the
price was so high as to place them beyond
the reach of ordinary consumption. In
fact, it may be concluded that both these
causes have operated to reduce the East
ern demand.
If therefore the Eastern market had
been thoroughly exploited, the cities
which received approximately none ofthe
fruits OF this State would have afforded a
market for 1889 carloads, and if the ship
nents made to the East during the season
of 1893 had been more literally distrib
uted competition between consumers
would have been evoked and prices
would have been better. There is no
gainsaying this deduction. but this is not
all.
There are 109 Eastern cities, containing
population of over $4,000 each, not men
toned in the shipping reports. Their
combined population is S,409, 474. If ship
mentS were allotted TO them in proper
ton to the ratio found by the average ex-
hibited by the first table, they would
have taken 6,3S6 carloads. These state
ments become vastly stronger by admit
ting the possibility of supplying Eastern
populations on the basis of the ratio re-
lating to Chicago alone. The total popu-
lation In all Eastern cities of $4,000 and
over is 13, $4,000 If the ratio of con-
sumption relating to Chicago had been
extended to this urban population, it
would have required over 10000 carloads
to supply the demand. If each city in
the United States of $4,000 Inhabitants
and ovor had been made the center OF
distribution, rural and village popula-
tion would have been brought in to re-
inforce the consumers.
1t is commercial law that competition
between sellers produces low prices, and
the reverse of this is true-competltion
between purchasers enhances the price.
As at present existing the cost to the con-
sumner is very high. Grapes sold in Cali
fOrnia at the point of shipment for from
$40 to SIS per ton are sold from the fruit
stands of the East at from $3.50 to 5000 per
ton, and the difference between the ag-
gregate cost of all the fruit consumed at
the East to the consumer and the reward
to the grower, in all its vast proportions,
represents the cost of mar citing the pro-
duct
If the 5,424 carloads of fruit shipped
East last year approximately two-fifths
of it was sent to single market) had been
more widely distributed the price to the
grower would have been greatly aug
mented, while the price to the consumer
would be appreciably decreased. The
reason justifying this conclusion is that
the price to the consumer is now up to its
maximum. Beyond the present point
consumption would practically cease.
1t follows, then, that the solution of the
whole problem of profitable fruit-grow-
ing in California is its better distribution.
AS already shown, there is residing in the
Eastern cities containing population of
$4,000 and over 13, 439, $50 people, little
over 20 per cent. of the entire population
of the Nation. The number of these
cities is ll8. Considering them as centers
of distribution for the green deciduous
fruits of California, and we have only rs
centers having an immediate population
of over 20 per cent. of the population of
the United States, which, when reinforced
by the village and rural population of
which they are the centers, would give us
over 40 per cent. of the population of the
country. or practically q, 800, 900 inahabit-
ants.
Whenever the subject of more ex-
tended distribution of green fruits of
California has been mentioned conserva-
tism has cried out that the market was
not prepared for innovation. The state
ment herein presented discloses the fact
that what is required is merely an aug
mentation or an expansion of the present
system, and since conservatism is welded
to the present system it may be fairly
assumed that it is estopped from any and
all objection to its expansion.