The record-union., 1894-03-29
FRUIT GROWERS IN COUNCIL.
A COOPERATIVE County Association
Organized Yesterday.
Matters Pertaining to Shipping Dis
cussed. and a Committee APP
pointed TO Prepare a Plan.

A meeting of fruit-growers was he Id at
Florin yesterday for the purpose of form
ing county cooperative association, to
be composed of fruit-growers and fruit
associations, for the purpose of securing
the best results from fruit-growing. The
meeting was called to order by Thomas
Taylor of Florin, G. j. Hopkins acting as
Secretary.
a large number of representative grow
ers from all portions of the county were
| present and took part in the discussion.
w. NJ. Reed advocated that the associ-
tion should embrace the growers of the
whole county. 1t should send agents,
who were members, to Eastern points,
not to do the selling, but to oversee the
sales, by being on the ground to keep
track OF what was being done; to see
that the auctions were properly con-
Quoted, and not run by ring. He be-
lieved there was no need of dealing
| through middlemen. With such over
| sight the fruit could be safely sent to the
| auction men directly.
| w. y. Balch said lie did not wish to be
! defrauded as in the past. He told his ex-
perience as member of another assocla-
! ton. Ii the association was going TO send
! somebody to look after the sales, he
should join it; if it was not, he wanted
nothlngito do with it. The National AS
sociation agent in an Eastern city had not
dealt fairly with him, and he wished to
/ know what was being done with his
! fruit.
j. V. Piazza of Kansas City. a member
! of large commission house there, said
| he was glad to meet with the growers.
! After hearing the sentiments of those
who had spoken, he hoped that they
would send some one to represent them.
| He thought it the best plan they could
| adopt.
He gave an explanation of the auction
system as conducted in Chicago, both the
open and the closed auctions. He said
| tie ideas which had been expressed OF
| the profits made by the buyers were
erroneous. Buyers who bought in the
morning were glad if they could sell
| their goods on the same day. Ii they did
not, they were glad to sell it the next day
at loss. There was trouble and anx-
iety at the East as well as here. His
! house would welcome the agent of the
association and extend TO him every
! facility for investigation.
| Louis Wenberger of New Orleans said
! he was manager OF the National Associa-
ton, which had been attacked. He
| thought there had been some mistake in
ception. His house had handled EIorin
fruit and also fruit from Placer County.
! He believed that the Florin people for
whom he had sold fruit were well salts
! fed. The growers and agent OF the
! association would be cordially received
| by his house and every facility tor in
! formation given to them.
f.. Booth did not think that the auction
houses were entitled TO so much blame
as they receive. He believed that if the
matter were properly Investigated the
fault would be found outside OF the auc-
tions. He had shipped large quantities OF
fruit and had noticed that his returns
averaged as well as those Of others in
! other places.
He believed, however, that this was not
the object for discussion now. The object
of the meeting was for the growers TO
come together and take organized action.
| He was one of the first advocates and or
ganizers Of the California Fruit Union.
lie did not think that the Union had been
carried out as it was intended. He
thought that the plan OF distribution was
correct, and the only one that can be sue
cessiu. He thought the only thing that
could be done was to form a cooperative
association, in which any shipper
in the county could ship, and from
which he could derive advantage. This
county and other counties should confer,
and let each other know what was being
done, so that they would not be working
against each other.
| g. Woolsey of lone had, like the rest,
had his experience for several years in
/ fruit shipping, and it was not always sat
istactory. He had shipped with various
| trims and associations, and had shipped
from Elorin last year. While his results
III the latter case had not been exactly
satisfactory, there were outside causes
| which caused il.
The history of fruit-shipping, he
| thought, was that sometimes it was pro-
| fitabie and sometimes not, and the grower
must take things as they come.
Although growers may be fairly dealt
with at the other end of the line, they
would be better satisfied if they had some
one there who could certify to the fact
that they were fairly treated. The first
| thing 10 be done, ne thought, was TO all
unite and pull together. Without har-
mony they would be weak, and their
| efforts would come to naught. The with
! drawal of the Fruit Union from the field
| left it practically i'll the hands of one as
sociation. He thought that all that could
! be done w ould be to send a man this sea-
son to watch the ales; then, if strong
enough, they could send agents and enter
| the neld next year.
&. +. Johnson advocated sending an
| agent to Chicago-the headquarters of
! Porter Bros.-if no where else. He be-
| lieved it was especially point where
some good can be done Dy having man
| TO look after matters.
A. ID. Murphy said he had offered this
! plan OF a county association, not because
| he thought every one else was rascal or
thief but because matters are in such
| shape that they must be Dettered in some
way or fruit-growerS must quit the busi-
ness. His idea was that an agent should
be sent on, to whom the fruit could be
| shipped and distributed to any one whom
not be very great. The advantage OF a
| county organization was to regulate the
distribution, making it even and regular
and preventing glut in the market. 1t
| could also confer with other county or
CARNATIONS to the same end, with great
| advantage to the growers. No honest
firm in the East could object to an agent
| being sent TO see that everything was
straight. The loss which has sometimes
been ex perienced on one shipment would
pay all his expenses. Ii something can
not be done, growers must Quit raising
fruit. Let us invite every one to join
with us. We want TO control the fruit,
distribute 1t properly ana see that It is
| fairly sold. He moved that committee
of five be appointed to formulate plan
of organization.
Several members thought that it would
be better to ascertain first if it was de-
sired to form an association. Murphy
| withdrew his motion.
| Mr.. Booth moved that it be considered
the sense Of the meeting that it form an
| organization 10 see to shipping our fruit
| from Sacramento County.
An amendment was offered to include
Sacramento County and vicinity, but
was withdrawn.
Reed said that county organization was
necessary as a preparatory step to State
| organization. Almost all the other fruit
growing counties are organizing with the
same object. If this county wants to
| benefit by IL it must orpaniZe. A State