The record-union., 1897-11-18

lilicu SO tfldI the SIippcT Couiu hAiio"
just what fruit was going to each mark
ct; second, to see that fruit was SOLO
in open auction, where every one coulo
see what it brought and had chance
to bid on it; third, to see thai every man
who was prepared to buy fruit should
be admitted to the auction room ana
his bid accepted and that cllque
should no longer be allowed to dictate
as to who should bid. The association
has carried out all three of it's objects.
Mr.. Stephens would have objected II
the speaker had picked out the most
prosperous fruit week and held 1t up
as an example that fruit was bringing
high prices, and the members Woulu
consider him unworthy of commence
did he make such a statement as
guide for the season sale. Was II just
for Mr.. Stephens to pick out the poor
est week of the season, when Eastern
fruit is in highest competition WIN
our fruit? He could read from the
same source a statement of another
week in which sales amounted 10
81 293 a car, nearly double MIR. Ste
phens' figures. but which would be no
more fair as an average price than his
figures were He believed that the
publication of these figures was inim-
ical to the best interest of the State.
He hoped that Mr.. Stephens would be
able to evolve some feasible plan that
will relieve the fruit growers by organ
ization, and he would be the first to
crown his brow with the laurel wreath
of victory.
MR.. STEPHENS REPLY.
Mr.. Stephens answered, saying that
he and Mr.. Weinstock were the best of
friends, as had been stated, and he
was one of the keenest and shrewdeSt
of debaters, as they had seem He
had, however, like the matador, flour
ished the red flag to divert the bulls
attention, while he was being destroyed.
'Who is the bulI?" asked Mr.. Ber-
wick
1.-The growers" was the reply, amid
laughter.
He insisted that the committee had
outlined a plan, by which ten or flf-
| teen cars could be got together by
local association, and shipped, thereby
forcing the combine to follow up the
shipments and relieve the glut in the
markets. He would be willing to have
his cars sent by such an association
wherever it thought best. There We're
other disastrous weeks, he said, than
| the one he had quoted, while in the one
quoted by Mr.. Weinstock there was
very little fruit in the market
He did not pick out the week he did
because it was the lowest, as the sales
previous to and following We're also
disastrous to the grower, and they were
in, haa hirrh of 10 U
ers have been for several years follow
| ing the advice Of Mr.. Weinstock and
those whom he represents, with the
| result that their fruit property has de-
preciated greatly. If the marketing
had been properly handled the proper
| ty would not have deprecated any more
than a $50 piece has. But it has all
| been handled in the interest of few
men, and they are now trying to get
| even the property that is back Of the
| fruit. The enormous refrigeration
rates are eating up the returns, and
| the shippers are realizing all the profits
| from them. They find the growers are
getting restless, and he was told they
are now offering some rebate on re-
| frigeration. Is it not wise, when you
| find that your representatives have
mismal,aged your business, is it not
wise to take your affairs into your own
| hands, and form such associations as
| Mr.. Weinstock thinks cannot be form
| ed?
| He was not a bunco steerer, and he
thought that if the management Of the
| fruit business by the commission men
was bad he believed it right to make
| the publication which had been criti-
| cised. He did not think it right to
| induce tenderfeet to purchase the
| places the fruit growers had practi-
cally lost. a man whose place is
mortgag ged cannot borrow money from
the banks, but the two big commission
| firms will loan him what he wants on
| condition that he markets his fruit only
through them, and they will not allow
him TO sell it elsewhere, no matter how
much more he could sell it for. He
| believed it to be right to publish tht
| facts he had published.
Mr.. Weinstock asked why Mr. Ste.
phens had not taken the whole season
| for his figures instead of a week OF
| two. and the latter said that what he
presented hed taken him two weeks
work to collate and he had no more
| tlfIle. lie ola not lnIenQ TO convey the
| idea that this was the average price
| per car for the season, but that the
| losses for that time would nearly oil
| quite offset the gains for the rest OF
the season. Taking into consideration
the capital invested, he contended that
| it showed a loss to the growers on the
seasons sales.
! Mr.. Barnecutt of Placer, asked if the
| commission merchants could contro
the weather, and Mr. Stephens answer
ed that he thought they must, because
one Of them, when asked why he refrig-
Grated a car with the temperature al
40 degrees. answered that it was nee
essary to equalize the temperature o1
| the car
Mr. Barnecutt said that. in justice
| to the commission men, he would state
that his losses We're principally on ac-
count of frost. He acknowledged ir
| answer TO question that he had beer
agent for the Earl Fruit Company the
past season.
Mr.. Stephens said the whole question
is. Have the growers prospered for the
past few years? Have their crops
brought them an income? If they have
been making money, will their property
not be valuable?
| The answer. n frlreSfio,, hu Az