The morning call., 1894-12-11
CALIFORNIA IN THE FRUIT MAR
KETS.

The fruit-growers of this State have one
great question to settle beyond that of the
cost Of transportation. The fruit jobbers
of Chicago and New York have heretofore
made strong combination to control all
California shipments. They succeeded
last year through associations known as
exchanges. These combinations refused
to sell any fruit to retail dealers. They
would sell only to members of their own
com bin alton. Outsiders and all retailers
must buy of middlemen. In this way the
market was restricted. The auctioneers
who belonged to the exchanges made their
commissions. After the railroad had taken
out its large freight money the combina-
lions in Chicago and New York made
about all there was in sight.
The fruit j0bbers of these two Eastern
cities have recently held meeting in
Chicago, at which they declared in favor
of the system that prevailed last year. The
business of selling California fruit, accord
ing to the edict that has gone out, is TO be
confined to these exchanges. By this
method all the small dealers are shut out.
The rule touches the whole question of
final distribution. The retailers are not to
be allowed to buy of first hands. but mus:
pay in effect the commissions.
The fruit-growers of California have
been searching for hidden causes of an
unsatisfactory trade. There was always
a mystery. 1t was said that the great
cities of the interior and of the Atlantic
States could take all the fruit that the
growers of this Stale could place in those
markets. and at prices that would insure a
fair profit. But the reports of last season
seem to conflict with this theory. These
cities did not dispose of all the fruit sent
from California at fair profit. The CON-
bnation in Chicago and New York ruled
the fruit-growers of California. The
former seem to have made their own
terms. They propose to make the same
terms next year. That is the outcome of
the meeting recently held in Chicago.
Evidently our fruit-growers must organize
their forces in way to enlarge the East
ern markets and secure fair profits, or
they may expect the main profits of their
enterprise to be divided among Eastern
dealers.
There has been a long-stanGing complaint
about the cost of shipments. That evil is
always traced 10 the railway monopoly
Many of these complaints were well
founded. But is not this one experiment
enough without permitting the establish.
ment of another monopoly which closes
around all the business of selling Califor-
MIA fruit in the great markets? 1t would
seem to be quite within the province of
the truit-growers of this State to establish
their own exchanges in the principal East
ern cities. or at least to prescribe the
method by which their products should
be sold. That plan could embrace I'M
restricted mpetiton-freedem of the
market. and not construction enforced by
monopoly that fences out all retail
dealers. the very men who have to do with
the most important part of distribution.
According to the report of United States
Consul Meeker on the sale of California
iruit in England, there is still prospect
that green fruits can be shipped from this
State to that country. a London firm to
which most of the consiguments were made
last year sold ITO tons at auction. Ripe
pears brought from 81 to 81 80 box /;
green pears went at 50 to So so a box
pums brought from 50 to SO so a half
crate; peaches went from 81 cents to So %