New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-31
THE RAISIN TRUST SHAh1.
,rs COLLAPSE PREDICTED BY a LEADING
MEMBER OF THE FRUIT TRADE.
PRESENT STATUS or THE COMBINATION COM
PETITION BETWEEN THE CALIFORNIA AND
THE, SPANISH PRODUCTS POSI-
FITIIRE

PETITION BETWEEN THE CALIFORNIA AND
THE SPANISH PRODUCTS - POSI-
BILrTIEs OF THE FUTURE.
The Raisin Trust just is causing much con-
lecture among California growers. shippers and re-
ceivers There are differences Of opinion on the
subject between important firms. but a Tribune re-
porter who talked with the senior member OF one
OF the leading firms in this city In that line OF DUST
ness received the following information;
1--WE saw in a California dispatch to The Trib-
une" said he 1.-The statement that IA per cent OF
the required so per cent of the total product 10
form the trust had been subscribed. but we had
previously supposed that the trust was an accom-
plished fact and we still so believe IL TO be, but we
haleve that In the end the so-called trust or
combination will collapse To avoid runous cornpc-
ttion and stop the forwarding of consignmeh's
TO Eastern commission merchants In opposition 10
shipments actually purchased at the point OF pro
duction and to secure uniform grading OF rais-
ms the principal growers of the san Joaquin dhc!
of California after many conferences. formed IA
combination. trust. and agreed that prices
for the current should be as follows:
"Dried grapes q. cents pound; two-crown loose
muscatels 8 cents; three-crown, 81. cents lour-
crown Az cents: seedess muscatels cents; three
crown London layers. 81 IS box of 20 pounds Gus
ters 81 GO; Dehesa clusters. 81; Imperial clusters
q: four-crown loose muscatels 81 10, four-crown
loose muscatels faced 81 %; seedless Sultanas' /
cents pound.
These prices are guaranteed against any pIicc9
named by the following packers: I!anford Raisin
Company Producers Raisin Company. Noble
Brothers Cooperative Raisin Company, Fresno
Fruit and Raisin Company, Butler forsyth'
Chaddock & Hoyt. Griffin and Shelley Niiiiams
Brown Fruit Company. and Porter Brothers FRUIT
Company. which embrace all the princ'pai 'aiS'h
packers In California
'here will be difference in the prices oil goods
hacked either in boxes or sacks. it seems to be
the general wish that most of the goods be put IN
boxes on account of their arriving East in so much
better condition. though If any of the trade wish
sacks they will be shipped in that way The clus-
tiers are really n four-crown London layer accord
ing TO last years standard but as there has been
O call for clusters they will still be packed In that
style.
1.-THE prospects were never better for goods Of ex-
ceptonally good quality, and we believe they VIII
be ready for shipment earlier than usual. Present
indications that large quantity can be shipped
during the first half of September. if the weather
in the drying districts continues to be favorable
THE shipments of rasins from the Pacihc Slope
during the season Of 1884 are estimated to have
been a little than 1850 carloads the carloads
averaging about 2i.GOo pounds each The greater
portion OF the shipments was in boxes of an aver
age Of so pounds each. The market opened at about
4s. cents a pound for four-crown loose. but soon
broke to Az cents The most of the crop was mar
keted at from 3a to cents for three-crowns. and
TO AZ cents for four-crowns in O-pound boxes. or
at 10 ~ cent less IN Days OF dpout oV pOuIlHS
each The shipments in bags did not meet general
favor as the fruit was often received in poor con-
dition. The most desirable packages proved to be
those Of so pounds each. and they brought higher
prices than the 20pound boxes. which had previous
ly been the favorte packages in size.
This years crop, II is estimated, after careful
consideration by most experienced and COM
petent experts. viii be larger in volume and better
In quality thar last years. On this basis alone the
combination so-called Trust will not be able to
keep up their prices. hut aside from this they Will
have to encounter the reduced tariff of from pa
to III cents a pound. Last year there were 100000
boxes Of Valencia raisns imported. but this year.
under the reduced tariff. there will be many more.
California puts up rasins both in layers and
clusters. The quality Of raisins from the Pacific
Slope has steadily improvedand driven all the lower
grades of Malaga raisns from the American market.
but for the best table rasins we still depend upon
the supply from Spain. Despite the handicappine
Of the reduced tariff. however the California raisn
producers still believe that In few years the
American rasin will become superior in quality
and quantity to that OF any other country. Mean
while, however. believe that every tub must
stand its bottom, and that i'll advised trusts
or combinations. must inevitably collapse.