The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1893-05-10
FRUIT AND ITS FRUITS.

The convention of orange-growers in
this city yesterday was q remarkable
body, an aggregate Of about one hundred
men, who, being OF almost every ma
tivity and political condition, remained
in session about six hours and never
once resorted TO any sort of demagoguery
or clap-trap. There was not one of them
but spoke good and vigorous English
and talked In spirit OF good common
sense.
The main object of the meeting was
the enfranchisement OF the primary pro-
Queer from the domination OF the
middleman in business; or, in other
words, to save the enormous amounts
disbursed annually in commissions to
parties who, by virtue of iron-clad con-
tracts in which one man makes the bar
gain tor both, have secured for
tune in marketing the orange crop
OF Southern California without the
risk Of single failure. To
quote the words of the venerable Mr..
Baldridge of Pomona, "These packing
companies have virtually been given
1000 carloads of oranges to dispose Of as
they like; and so long as they get their
prices for picking and packing, they do
not care whether the producer gets dol
lar or not"
Mr.. Chamblin of Riverside sal d that
notwithstanding the cry OF mo market
for California oranges" from the eastern
cities, he could show positive proof
where choice navel oranges had sold in
eastern cities for as high as seventy:fve
cents per dozen at retail. II such were
the retail price, what must the whole
sale figure have been to make them pos
sibly obtainable2
Some time ago gentleman OF Pomona
received a letter from q produce house
in st. Paul, Mimi, in which they wrote:
sour market now ranges from 81 to $5
for fancy navels, $3.50 to SO for strictly
choice seedlings; and cabbage cents
per pound. We refer you to the follow
ing California producers: Here follows
list OF parties residing at Pomona, Or
ange and Riverside.)
On the strength OF this letter the gem
tleman referred to, shipped a carload of
choice navels which should have realized
an average of at least 81 per box, &C.
cording to the terms of the letter above
quoted. About 20 days later, he re-
ceived an account of sales from the firm
above referred and check. Dividing
the face value of the check by the num-
Der of boxes Of oranges shipped to the
address of the above named firm, the
shipment netted just 81 cents per box
1t is abuses of the sort given above
that have led up to the meeting which
convened in Los Angeles yesterday, for
the case mentioned is far from being an
isolated one. OF all plans formulated
for its cure, the one proposed by Mr..
Chamblin strikes as as the most eensi-
BILE. Send thirty young business men
from Southern California at salaries of
$3.50 per month and $l5n per month adj
ditionsI ior sxpeneea, and let Jioiss r.sSv
the crop to the best advantage in adj
vance of its maturity. There are plenty
of young men growing up here, in the
employ OF grocery or commission houses,
who could be given whole state to
work upon and who would execute their
trusts credtably to themselves and the
state whence they came.
No man could witness the delibera-
tions OF that body without arriving at
the conclusion that those men were as
earnest as they were intelligent. The
remarks of Mr.. Chamblin were exceed
ingly we'll timed and full of force. He
met every argument readily and dis
posed of every objection in way which
showed he had made the subject one OF
long and thorough study. With such
men to lead the emancipation move
ment, the fruit-growers of Southern
California will not be very long in anne
liora ting their own condition.
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