The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-26
THOMAS TALKS PROGRESS
An Open Letter Incident to the
San Francisco Produce
Exchange.
BUSINESS RULES ARE WANTED.
Growing Demand for Clean Ware
houses for the Reception Of
New Wheat.

According to J. P. Thomas, OF the
Thomas commission house, the San Fran
cisco Produce Exchange will be enabled to
advance Its financial possibilities by sys-
tenn of renovation both in the call board
rooms and in the rules governing the bust
ness conduct of the members dealing there.
In order to clearly lay down the line of
policy which seems to be clear in the mind
of Mr.. Thomas, he has issued an open let
ter to the newly elected directors of the
exchange in which he suggests several
plans for improvement, among others the
introduction of some rules that will per-
NIT capital to speculate in wheat and grain
with a reasonable certainty of being pro-
tected by reliable and accepted business
methods. Among other things in his open
letter Mr.. Thomas says:
First comes new quarters for the general
meetings or the association, Tor the present
ones we have are disgrace to not only the
"leading business associations OF the Pacific
Coast" but it would be to ffth-class insur-
ance company. By IL o'clock every morning
it smells like the steerage OF an emigrant ship.
Second-New call board rules. On two occa-
sions the present rules have been the cause of
much dissension, acrimony and misunder-
standing between members. 1t is strange that
many Of those who backed up the regular
ticket at this election did not seem to want
any rules for the guidance of the call board.
The idea seems to be that rules can be made,
or the present rules construed, to suit the oeca-
sion when it arrives We are sorry that so
very few OF the members of the association
understand how bad condition the rules that
govern the call board are in.
"What 1 mean by the second suggestion
is that the rules on margins at the present
time are not sufficiently clear to overcome
the technicalities that arise from time to
time in call board transactions. No man
knows how secure he is in dealing under
the present irregular rules. and capital is
not bold at the present time.
Another thing which is of the greatest
importance is the creation of rule that
will compel call board warehousemen to
remove from their warehouses 100-ton
lots that have been pronounced out of
condition by the call board inspector.
We have very competent and honorable
inspector, and all we need is rule to
have some weight when he reports I'M
cleanliness.
'The floor committee should have more
definite instructions as to their duties. A
director for several years brought
stranger on the exchange floor. went up
TO a members table and asked the price of
a certain lot of white corn, which was
given. The stranger was asked if the
price and quality suited him. He said it
did, and the members who held the corn
were requested to make out bill in the
strangers name. This is not the proper
way to conduct a produce exchange, and
a non-member has no right to bid.
II have no personal fight in this matter,
but | feel that an institution worth
$3.50, 200, with an income from business
aggregating over 500 month, should put
on little better appearance and gather up
the loose ends of its business methods"