The herald., 1893-12-17
THE ORANGE MEMS UNION
The Work of Organization in
Various Counties.
A Report of the Progress Made in
Ontario.
The Middi emen Have Practically Aban-
doned tho Field for This
Season and Perhaps
Permanently.

Santa Ana Blade: At the present
juncture there is no matter Of higher
business Importance to the horticultur-
lists OF Orange county than the growth
OF the organization among the orange
growers OF the southern counties to
market their fruit independently OF the
middlemen. In order that our readers
may judge Of the progress making out
side OF Orange comfy in the direction
indicated, we quote some recent utter
ances of the press OF neighboring coun.
ties. The Ontario Observer says:
what the orange growers now need
above all other things is sslf-confdence
only menace to the success of their
scheme to market the orange crop inde-
pendently OF the middlemen. The dread
Of E. L. Earl and OF others of this kind
is baaeless superstition. If the grow
ers stand together as one man their
nations of the middlemen cannot prevail
against it. They will be forced to retire
from business or buy oranges I. o. b. and
forced to adopt the new methods without
resistance. They will do all in their
power to destroy the union, butt il the
growers manifest a reasonable amount
OF courage and conference, the empirical
consignment system is doomed. As the
few non-union growers in the country
will not consign their fruit, the commits
sion men must enter the field this sea-
son as buyers.
"As they will have to fight the union
with their own fruit instead OF with con-
signed fruit. they are not likely to con-
tiu1e the sacrificial struggle very long.
As the Observer has previously ex-
planned, they rely upon routing the
union orange growers and spreading dis
content and dissatisfaction among them
by offering dealers to whom the union
has just made shipments, oranges at
less prices. They will endesvor to force
the union to sell the fret oranges mar
keted at loss to the growers, hoping
thereby to discourage the growers
and cause them to withdraw from
the union. Now, this is game
at which two can play. As the
union already has the fruit, it should be
willing to. sacrifice few carloads in Or
der to get fair price for the balance OF
the crop. Indeed, it could we'll afford to
sacrifice thousand carloads in order to
establish itself, or if 1t goes to pieces the
entire crop will be sacrificed as it was
last year. The enemies of the union
would soon become very weary OF selling
oranges at a loss, and as soon as con-
vinced that the union cannot be stamped
out and broken in this way, they will
take their medicine and look as pleas
ant as humility will permit. They can
easily be brought into submission if our
growers but have the self-confidence and
courage to subjugate them"
CLEAR FIELD.
The Riverside Press calls attention to
the fact that the middlemen have al
ready practically abandoned the field
for this season. and, it may be hoped,
permanently. The press says:
Orange growers who are in great need
of ready cash, and are therefore tempted
to listen to the plea OF those would like
them to break their contract with the
exchange, are advised to bring their
needs before the officers of their respect
i've associations before deciding upon
step which might involve serious results
to the organization and consequently to
the industry itself. 1t is gratifying That
the dealers have been forced into posi-
tion where they are compelled to follow
methods which can do harm only at
great loss to themselves, bat nobody be.
lieves that they would be able to take
their present course II the cooperative
movement had not made impossible the
speculative methods OF the past few
years. Nothing more clearly shows the
value of the organization than the pres
ent amiable attitude of the ex-commisr
sion men, but we cannot affar6 to risk
our interests by again surrendering to
the go-as-you-please plan of disposing
OF our crops.