The San Francisco call., 1897-05-19
MUST ORGANIZE
FOR PROTECTION
Fruit Growers of Alameda
County Are at a Big
Disadvantage.
Low Prices Prevail Because OF
the Entire Absence of
United Efforts.
Must Follow the Example Set by the
Fruit.Growers of Southern
California.
QAQ Rroad

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALI
9OS Broadway, May Is.
A movement has been started for estab b.
fishing a vegetable and fruit growers
union in Alameda County. At the pres
ent time certain branches of vegetable
growing are being ruined because of in
judicious competition and owing to a lack
of good judgment in handling the COM
mission business.
In the neighborhood of Pleasanton
there are many acres of peas which the
growers are not taking the trouble to pick
because of the low prices. In the city OF
Oakland these vegetables are bringing G
good prices, such as would pay for their
growing if they could be got to market
without having TO pass through so many
hands. 1t was for the purpose of doing
away with the middlemen from San
Francisco that the local commission men
have chartered a steamer, and will con-
duct their own commission business
directly with the growers along the Sacra-
mento River.
The same principle that was found to
be working to disadvantage in regard to
the produce from river ports needs to be
corrected in regard to the produce grown
in the interior of the county. 1t is
claimed that all of these matters can be
adjusted by a well-organized Vegetable
and Fruit Growers Union, such as exists
in every county producing as much as
Alameda.
Some m onths ago the Livermore League
of Progress took mp this matter, and at
tempted to create enough interest for the
formation of a produce exchange in this
city. But the matter was allowed TO
lapse.
Now that the fruit season has opened
and growers realize that they cannot OBJ
tain adequate returns for their products,
the question has been brought forward in
a more energetic manner. A fruit-grower,
who has made the conditions of produce
growing in Alameda County special
study, has issued lengthy statement
which concludes as follows:
Boards of trade could do no better work than
60 out into the small towns OF our State and
get them organized and interested in growing
and shipping fruit and produce systematic
cally. We have had reason TO believe that those
who wish to control Eastern shipments are
too anxious to keep the grower ignorant of all
the facts in the case If possible, and make
him suffer at times only to teach him a lesson
of dependence. Orange-growers in Southern
California have had their eyes opened to such
things, and San Jose and vicinity are also
awake and organized, ana, as result, all are
bet off in those localities.
Those who have cherries to sell this year are
greatly surprised when the canneries send out
their buyers, as they have in the past week,
and offer only to cents pound for that fruit.
1t is simply outrageous. Had there been big
yield as was ANTICIPATED, such prices would
have been small enough, but with the limited
supply in almost every part of the State and
especially here in Alameda County, the home
of the cherry, the price is far too low. Many
of the growers expect to ship East but, as we
have said, this is done by only few of the
large orchardists, and that through some one
eise with one or two exceptions
So far as being organized is concerned and
all shipping systematically, there is nothing
of that done in Alameda COUNTY. Telegraph
reports tell US that Vacaville, Newcastle and
San Jose have shipped cherries already this
year and received on an average 81 "a box,
or a little over sixteen cents pound The
price that has been offered by the canneries
may have something to do with getting the
united effort of growers in this county to-
gether