The San Francisco call., 1897-06-12
DELAYED FREE MARKE T.

To the Editor Of the San Francisco CdLt-SIR:
THE farmers are impatient" according to the
report made by THE CALL of the meeting OF
the San Francisco Farmers Club in the assem-
bly, room of the Mechanics Library building
few evenings since, because of the app aren't
delay of the Harbor Commissioners in open
ing the free market, and it appears that a reso-
luton was offered by Colonel D.nicke, and
passed by large majority vote as the sense
of the meeting that the commits siouers should
proceed with this important business in obe-
dlence TO the duty posed upon them by the
lawmakers OF the State.
There decided opposition to the adop-
tion OF this resolution, however, by three or
four gentlemen, on the ground that the City
Farmers Club had now voluntarily under
taken TO gather information from all available
sources aS to the nature and requirements of
free market to be established III conformity
with the law creating il, and also as to the
obstacles in the way OF establishing sucn
market; that much valuable information had
been obtained which had been laid before the
club at that meeting in the several papers
read, requiring an hour and half for the
reading OF them; that these papers had been
referred to committee OF five, according to
resolution adopted before the papers were
read, and this committee was TO digest these
papers and devise some definite plan for the
market 10 be submitted 10 an adjourned meet
ing TO be held two weeks later for considera-
tion and adoption; that thereafter itwas to be
presented to the Harbor Commissioners by a
committee representing the various farmers
which authority was to be obtained as soon as
possible from these farmers organizations, the
assurance being given by these gentlemen op-
posing the resolution that the Commissioners
were favorable 10 The free market and were
enurely willing to so on with the work of es-
tablisnlng sucn a market as soon as the farm
ers would make known what they wanted and
the obstacles N the way could be removed.
Farmers from Stockton. Fresno ana Peta-
luna who had come expressly 10 attend this
meeting of the City Farmers Club In the
nope ana expectation OF seeing something
done Immediately toward opening the free
market in time for this years fruit and
vegetable crops spoke earnestly in favor of
adopting the resolution offered by Colonel
DsnicKe, and said they could not see why the
Commissioners had waited Tor months with
out doing thing because they did not know
what the farmers expected them to do, and
yeL had taken no steps 10 obtain the informa-
lion they required. Was it an attempt to shiit
the res poIisl bllity of a failure to open the
the duty OF the Commissioners, and not OF the
farmers, to estab ism this free market. Why
this further delay of two weeks before giving
the commissioners the voluntary infOrma-
Could not the Commissioners have obtained
tn is information several months ago?
1t is not surprising that the farmers won
complete victory and secured the adoption OF
the resolution by an overwhelming vote. But
what OF ii? Will it do them any good? Not q
bit. The papers read at the meeting Will be
"digested" for two weeks, then report of
their labors will be submitted to the ad-
journed meeting, and then another commit
tee Will be appointed 10 wait on the Commits
sioneIS, and then-Hnd then, the season will
pass in laboTiously doing nothing. and there
will be no free msrket established this year.
By the beautiful method of ipdirection the
crops will fall into the hanus of those VINO
have made the need Of free market an i'm
peratiVe necessity, and the farmers must sub
NIT. JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON.
s55 Market street, June IL, 1897.