The San Francisco call., 1897-08-12
A FEW MILLIONS SAVED.

For several years past not few buyers
of dried fruit and raisins have had things
pretty much their own way in the mar
kets OF California. By little trick that
they possibly learned from the wheat
buyers they have been able to purchase
these two articles at prices which enabled
them to turn pretty penny, but which
were death to the grower
During the period alluded to it has been
the custom at the very beginning of the
season to fill the air in the neighborhood
of the fruit-growers and the newspapers
with profuse remarks about the immense
size of the crop and the certainty of low
prices in consequence. incidentally very
low quotations were named and subse-
quently adhered 10 with persistence
that successfully broke down all opposi-
ton. In this way the buyers managed to
scatter these low quotations throughout
the orchard districts, and thus the grower
was educated up to bedrock prices before
the season opened. 1t is incredible that
such trick could be played on an intelli.
gent community, but it was. The news
papers were in some instances made un-
willing parties TO this business, for as
market they were obliged TO quote them.
The CALL has figured out that this
scheme has cost the State millions of dol
lars during the past two or three years.
Take the item of prunes, for instance. If
they are intrinsically worth 3 cents per
pound and the buy ers, by the method al
Iuded TO. can scatter 2-cent quotation ali
over the State, the loss on crop of co.
900 600 pounds is 5000, 600. And when We
consider that prunes form only one item
the veriest tyro can see at glance the
enorm Gus loss suffered by the Stale. 1t is
a loss that affects the City as well as the
country; it affects the value of country
real estate, and cuts the years profits off
from many hard working grower.
Along in the early part of the present
season THE CALL came to the conclusion
that this business had gone about far
enough. So when the fruit "spieler"
started out to play his usual game, THE
CALL was on hand to block MIN. and it
did. 1t looked carefully into the state of
the fruit crops here and in the East, saw
that there was no need whatever for ruin
Gus prices this year, and in its fruit re-
ports called attention to this important
fact until the growers in all districts had
their eyes opened. It also drew attention
to the mischief caused by theee specu la
tors. so that when they went into the
country with their gloomy reports they
found the fruit-growers prepared for them.
1t was simply done. The fr,it-grower
is an intelligent man and easily educated.
All he wants is to be shown how the land
lies. He was duly shown, and the result
is one of the finest driei-fruit markets we
have had for several years.
The CALI does not claim all the credit
for this tlne drled-fruit market. The ad.
vance agent OF prosperity had good deal
to do with it. But it does claim the credit
of having opened the eyes of the grower
to his possibilities this year, and of thus
saving him and the rest of the State mil
lions of dollars. And If similar conditions
arise next year it will do it again.
OF course there was protest The
buyer was up in arms. He was in great
state over it. THE CALLS Citations were
wrong. The CALL did not know anything
abouti it. THE CALL was misinformed, and
so on. But The CALL went right along on
its chosen line OF duty to the great fruit
growing public, and saw that the orchard
ist got his due. With the record of nil
lions of dollars saved to the fruit int crest
it can afford to be satisfied.