The record-union., 1897-11-18

that the exchange was pack or the Dut-
ter, to see that he got what he bought.
Mr.. RICHTER said he understood the
matter correctly.
| Mr.. Adams said he did not know
whether or not the Fresno raisin grow
ers had adopted an accurate system
of grading and packing. but he thought
they We're coming to it. He did not
think that the matter of salaries had
stood in the way of adoption of the
method in Santa Clara, but that other
causes stood IN the way. We would
never get honesty, he thought, except
through the exchange, not that it is
more honest than any one else, but it
/ is for self protection. 1t wants to
mark fruit by strict grades, each year
to be exactly the same, but the trade
does not want it that way and wants
/ it graded every year, as some years
/ the fruit is not SO good as others.
| Mr. Fighter said the exchange had
sold fruit graded as prime and the
dealer had marked it choice and COM
plants had come back that the ex-
change had not sold it on the proper
grade. He had then explained that it
was the dealer that was guilty of de-
ception, as their list showed what the
exchange graded as prime.
THE FREE MARKET.
Professor Childs asked in regard to
the free market in San Francisco. They
We're: What influence was opposed to it
and what are the objections; what are
| the objects expected to be attained;
what is the present condition of the
matter.
Mr.. Adams was asked to state
what he knew in regard to the matter
He said the first thought of the mat
ter arose from a member of the Grange
in his town getting a false return,
clearly proved from her commission
man. The question arose of how to
deal with the matter, whether to pros
ecute criminally or take means to pre-
vent such occurrences in future. The
| Board Of Harbor Commissioners were
asked if they We're willing to set aside
space for an open market and said
| they would do so. They set apart
place away up on the seawall, to which
the committee objected, offending the
Commissioners. The Commissioners,
under the new law set aside an excel
lent place, but it was too small to han
die all the produce. 1t is also not
connected with means of transportation
as the law directs and the Commission
ers have done nothing to so connect it.
He did not know of any objections to
it and when it was considered in the
Legislative Committee all who object
ed were invited to come and state their
objections. No one came, but it was
found that there was opposition when
it came into the Legislature. Pressure
was finally brought to bear, he was in
formed, by the lobbying agent of Good
all, Perkins & Co., upon Assemblyman
Cutter, who had introduced the bill at
his request in the Assembly, and it
was withdrawn and that in the Senate
| changed. The commission men also
object, on the ground that the State
should not use its ground to promote
the private interests of a class against
those established in business. The
answer to this is that the State should
use its property to forward the inter
ests of the citizens of the State.
One of the Harbor Commissioners is
the city agent of one of the transpOrta
ton companies doing the largest bus
mess and as it is clear that the river
| transportation companies are opposed
to the free market, it was safe TO say
in his opinion, that he will never vote
to carry out the law. All the owners
Of property that is rented to the COM
mission men are opposed to it, as are
the commission men themselves.
In regard to the advantages of the
market, it will save drayage, which is
a large item. 1t will also, by its semi
publicity of sales, allow each grower to
know what his goods brought and thus
prevent much fraud, for there is no
question that there is a great deal Of
fraud in fruit returns in San Francisco,
as he had indisputable proof.
Mr. Barry of Alameda said the Har-
Dor Commissioners had sent him a cir
cular asking him what space he needed,
it all the time, whether he had pro-
duce or not.
Mr.. Adams said that was the way
in which they were pretending to COM
ply with the law, and they received
only nine applications for space on
those terms.
Mr.. Berwick said the fr1lit-growers
themselves were largely to blame In
this meeting the annual attack on the
commission men and the annual de-
IflaIiu Oil the ram Oeil COlDpStiy w ds
made. One of the growers had this
afternoon spoken of a carload Of fruit,
which he described as divided into
choice, good, and miserable stuff. y
He saw quotations, too, of ''wormy
apples, % cents" If the growers will
stop shipping miserable stuff, and
spreading worms all over our State,
while quarantining against other
States, they would probably not COM
plain so much of poor prices. He had
been told of one exchange that last
year sold a lot of prunes that had been
so badly wet on the trays when nearly
dry that they ran together like dates.
They We're sold so that they netted
the grower 13 cents a ton. They were
sold to New York dealer for l cent
a pound, and it is easy to see how
California prunes can be sold so cheap.
TO EFFECT ORGANIZATION.
Mr.. Stephens offered a resolution that
as the report of the Committee on
TTansportatio and Marketing Fruit in
Eastern Markets had contained the rec
ommendation that the uit-growers
act together in a common cause for a
common good. therefore
Resolved, That it is the sense of
this convention that growers should
organize in all fruit localities in Cali
fofnia where there is fruit enough
grown to make one or more carloads
a day, and that they should ship and
market their own fruit through their
own agents; and further
Resolved, That the several local or
| ganizations select one representative
from each organization, to meet in