The herald., 1894-12-23
THE VERNON ORANGE GROWERS.
They Take Decisive Action as
to Marketing the Crop.
A Declaration of independence Of
Commission Sharks"
Increase in the Packing House Facili-
tiss-How the Growers Have
Been Duped Heretofore.

was held at Vernon school house on Fri
day evening, at which many fruit grow.
ers besides the directors were present.
Of the association.
Mr.. S. d. Pallett was unanimously re-
elected manager for the ensuing year,
the able work done by him during the
last season being fully appreciated.
Director Griffith reported that the
Southern Pacific Railroad company has
leased the Ear! orange packing house at
the corner of Alameda street and Vernon
avenue, and rendered the free use
thereof exclusively to the use of the as
sociation for this season. This liberal
offer was acce pied and hearty vote OF
thanks was given therefor. This in
creases the facilities of the association
materially, as it gives it two packing
packing houses, this one and also one
which the Santa Fe company generously
built for its use last year.
An address to the orange growers of
the district, urging all to become mem
bers of the association and giving good
reasons why they should do 80, wss
read and ordered printed in circular
form and distributed, after which the
directors adjourned. Following is copy
of tine address:
The Pioneer Fruit Growers assoca-
tion, knowing from its experience DUR
ing the last season that its method Of
marketing oranges is highly advantage
GUS and profits bic to the grower, desires
to nave all orange growers of the diss
trict wherein il operates become mem
bers, not only for the reason that MEM
bership in this organization will reeult
in great benefit to the individual, but
also because every increase of members
ship brings O proportionate benefit to
all mem bers. by strengthening the or
ganization, and to the end of securing
more mem pers wishes to call attention
to all growers to few facts concerning
this industry.
Prior TO the organization of associa-
tions, the orange growers were complete
ly at the mercy Of the commission men
and the treatment received at their
hands has never had parallel in the
history of commerce for deceit, chican-
cry and Wholesale, bold-faced robbery.
Our own crops. when entrusted to their
bands, were use6 80 club to beat us
down, bankrupt US and destroy our in
dustry. We slEknow thattbe middle.
men made practice of taking two or
three carloads of fruit. one from each OF
different growers IN the came vicinity,
shipping tlem to the same point eRst
and there pitting the diffenent lots
against eaoh other in competition, the
result being that the price WAS 30 re-
duced as to bring no return whatever to
the grower, and not only that, but it
was q common occurrence for the fruit
to be sold at q figure that would not
realize sufficient to pay the expense OF
packing, freight and commission, 80
that the grower WAS compelled to 90
down into his pocket for freight
charges. Many of us have done this
60 that it would actually have been
money saved if we had not touched an
orange, but had per n,itted them to fall
to the ground and rot. Furthermore,
there are instances where no returns
whatever have been made on shipments,
and the grower does not know anything
about what price his fruit was sold at or
whether it WAS sold ct all or not. The
commission men have never lost any
thing in the orange business, for they
have always taken good care to get their
fall charge for packing and their full
commission, SO while the business of
orange growing, which should by every
law and rule OF copamerce be highly
profitable. hiss been brought to source
of great loss TO the producer, the middle
man has made neat profit from it,
While, upon the fRcs of the matter, low
prices have been the bane of the orange
grower. the real cause of the disaster to
the industry has been greed, svarice and
raseelity OF the middlemen in making
the low prices. There are many other
tricks by which this cabal has robbed
the fruit growers, but space forbids their
review.
After long suffering from these sharks,
some Of the fruit growers resolved to
unite in a strong effort to free them
selves from their clutches. Associations
were formed tbrqughout the citrus
country and the fesults of their opera
tions have been go thoroughly satis-
factory as to greatly encourage all their
mem bers, and 1t ie to call your attention
to the benefits attained by the fret
years work OF the Pioneer association
that you are addressed. First, few
words concerning the work of the Semi
tropic fruit exchange, which comprises
the following local associations and
handles their business: San Fernando,
Pasadena, Rivera, Downey
and Pioneer (Vernon.) This exchange
handled last season 4S, SOB boxes of or
anges, and the ex pense OF handling them,
including all items from December l,
1894, was s.. 3S4.26. or an average cost
to the grower for marketing of $0.0697
per box, which includes $676.67 paid to
the executive board of the Southern Cal
ifernia fruit exchanges. 1t cost the
Pioneer association about So cents per
box for all material and all work mecca
sary to market its oranges. which WAS
a cost OF nearly 40 cent6 per box. Ii
any OF the commission men had handled
these oranges, provided they sold them
at the same rate the exchange has, thew
would have charged at least So cents per
box, including the commission, and the
growers would have received 1893. 40
less than they have received, and this,
together with their profit Of seven cents
per box, would have made So, 3S8.78,
which the middle men would have
gotten out of il.
The orange business in the Vernon
district was g dead loss, through the
of the middlemen. In
the season before the last very few
growers, if any, made profit, and the
majority lost money. The Pioneer as
sociation was organized, with some so
to handle last seasons crop,
and the outcome of it's work tells a very
iifferent tale from that of former years.
The association handled some 90 car
oads, or upwrrds of Il 1000 boxes, and
The returns or net profits to the pro-
iucers have been, so far, from 45 to rs