The herald., 1895-01-09
LOCAL FIELD Or COMMERCE.
Orange Growers Masters Of the
Situation.
A Splendid Outlook for the Market
ing of the Crop.
The Exchanges Defense Of its San Fran
disco Auction sales Local
Produce Quotations



The festive orange grower smiles and smiles
as he contemplates the situation and figures on
the profits he will derive from this years crop.
Reports from the east continue to be most en-
couraging Letters are pouring in upon the
various fruit exchanges by the score from
dealers in Chicago, Cleveland, Rochester, Buff
falo, Elmirs, Philadelphia New York, Boston
and other eastern cities. Each one refers to
the total loss of the unmsrketed one-half of the
Florida crop and tells how California must be
depended upon to supply the eastern demand.
All the correspondents say good prices will
prevail, but caution the Californians not to
make the rates too high. Many requests are
being received from eastern houses for cen
signments of fruit to sell at auction, all guar
anteeing very satisfactory prices. The ex-
changes, however, stick to their determination
not to send any fruit east to be sold on com
mission. The only terms that will be made
eastern customers will be the regular estab-
lished I. O. b. prices, which will be changed
only as the exlgencies OF the trade and the
condition of the market may warrant
AS for the San Francisco auction sales, for
which the exchanges have been much criti-
cised ON account of the alleged demoralizing
effects such sales have on the msrket the man
ayers of the exchanges say the conditions
which govern the San Francisco market are
quite different from those which obtain at the
east, and must be differently met. The auction
sales in San Francisco last year melted the
growers more money than the private sales of
the three previous years. and the experiment
warrants repetition. Such sales will be con-
tinued for the present, the prices received thus
far, considering the quality of the fruit offered
being satisfactory. The San Francisco market
differs from the eastern market in that it is
likely to be demoralized at any time by job
lots being thrown upon it by Independent
growers, and the lack OF harmony generally
existing between rival houses in the fruit
trade.
A prominent fruit house in Sacramento few
days ago addressed letter to one of the South
ern California exchanges protesting against
the continuance OF the auction sales in San
Francisco, owing to their demoralizing tend
ency on the general trade. The following re-.
ply has been forwarded in answer to the sacra-
mento houses criticism:
"No one regrets more than the eouthern Cali
fornia fruit exchanges the condition in which
the trade is IN San Francisco, but to charge
that wholly to their action in selling fruit by
auction. or to the reported failure or unslts-
factory result of that auction, is an attempt TO
place the blame where it does not rightly be
long. You will probably recall that there were
similar conditions existing, which the auction
sales last year did not seem to wholly eradicate
or cure, aud if the relations OF members OF The
trade to each other are such that they cannot
unite upon policy satisfactory to themselves
and to the combined growers who are their
patrons, certainly tits unjust TO say that the
latter are responsible for the results to the
former.
ave arc not concerned in the quarrels OF the
Gan Francisco dealers, and it hiss been our aim,
and we know we speak the mind of the other
exchanges when saying 1t. to secure share OF
the large amount OF trade which centers there
I'VE have no doubt that the condition OF the
Gan Francisco market reflects not only upol
your trade, but upon that OF the dealers in
many of the surrounding towns, and, perhaps,
even of the whole coast; but we apprenenu
that n this respect it makes no difference
whether it is the alleged result of an auction,
or the result of direct consignments being
slaughtered as formerly.
awe quite agree with you that fruit can be
sold or bought f. o. b., and there is not a shad-
ow of doubt in our minds as to which Is the
best method of conducting the business, We
believe it is also true that If the coast dealers
would cease tumbiing over each other to secure
consignments with which to demora1ize the
trade of a neighbor who has bought I. o. b..
the situation would be cleared up within Il
week to the satisfaction OF all legitimate trade
"Now, we have not written the above with
slightest intention OF rejecting upon your
method of doing business. We have too often
told you that our dealings last season were of
the most satisfactory character, and we not
only solicit continuance of it, but desire to SO
act on our part as to merit your confidence.
"When you feel that the market is such that
you can be buyer we will gladly give your
orders our usual prom pit attention"
no auction sales have been held this week,
but one or two carloads are going forward for
sale Friday.
Telegraph advices from New YORK report
the orange market slightly unsettled. This is
due to imports from Europe and the arrival OF
frosted fruit from Florida The latter cause is
liable to unsettle the eastern market for the
next three or four weeks
The Southern California crop is now consid-
cred out of danger from frost, unless the
weather should take very unexpected turn.