The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-15
THE FRUIT EXCHANGE,
1t Has Been Enlarged From a
Local to a State In
StitutiOn.
Committees to Revise Laws, Reduce
Rates and Raise Duties on
Zante Currants.

Over score of the representative fruit
dealers of the City met in the San Fran
cisco Fruit Exchange yesterday afternoon.
The meeting was called for the purpose OF
discussing means for making the exchange
wider in scope and more extensive in its
membership. Under its original organiza-
ton it includ ed, as the name implies, only
local men, but by the action taken yester-
day the mem ership was made general.
The exchange now Incindes the entire
State. and it is hoped to enlist the sympa-
thies and support of the smaller exchanges
throughout the State instead of securing
their antagonism, as has heretofore been
the case.
This business antagonism between the
smaller exchanges and the associated
dealers OF the City has wrought consider
able injury to the trade, and for this reason
it was decided to make the San Francisco
exchange a State exchange. even to the
changing of the name.
Frank Dalton presided. He stated the
objects of the assembly and offered few
suggestions on which the discussion might
proceed. There should be general rules re-
garding shipping, he said, and each ship
ment should be inspected in order to pro-
tect the dealers from the complaint which
often comes back to them from the East,
also urged the members to attend the daily
sessions of the board and bring samples,
so that interest in the exchange would not
lag.
The question of dried fruit standards
then came up, but no action was taken as
the committee in charge of that question
had no report. The sentiment is divided
as to which is better system OF standards
for each fruit section, or general State
CT ord or
more favor, as it was argued that first
grade fruit in one section may be but
second or even third grade in another.
The committee will send out for samples
during the next few days, and will report
to the next meeting.
The question of making the exchange
general affair then came up, and motion
to declare the institution open to all FRUIT
dealers in the State was carried. This
necessitates a change in the laws OF the
exchange, and also makes its name some
what inappropriate, so committee was
appointed to revise the laws and to select
name suitable to the changed condition OF
affairs. 1t will probably be called the Cal
ifornia Fruit and Shipping Exchange, or
composed of w. A. Curtiss OF Sacramento,
A. w. Porter, Jonas Granger, Walter
Castle and III. A. Williams.
b. N. Rowell suggested that the ex-
change take some action toward assisting
Collector Wise in establishing his case
against the ruling of the Government In
the question of levying an import tax on
Zante currants. He explained that when
a tariff of ~ cents was placed upon raj
sins, Zante currants were omitted In the
dutiable list because, as their name I'M
piled, they were currants, not ralslns. 1t
appears now that the Zante currant is not
currant, but is raisin. and is so es-
teemed. 1t is only necessary to prove this
in the Circuit Court to have it placed on
the dutiable list, and committee from
the exchange was appointed to assist In
gathering this proof. If necessary the
committee will send right to the home OF
the deceitful plant and bring it, root and
branch, to the court, so that it may be
seen that the currant grows on a vine, and
is really a seedless grape. Is. N. howley,
Edgar Cohen and D. II. Porter were ap-
pointed to the committee.
It was then announced that the Atchison
line had made special rates for the fruit