The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-24


=and Prices-The Odd Officers Re-
elected.
The Eastern Carolina Truck and
Fruit Growers Association met in an
nual session yesterday at 12:15 D.. m.
at the court house.
Among those present were Mayor w.
L. Hill, of Warsaw, president Of the
association; Mr.. d. II. Harnly, of
C~hadbourn, general secretary; Mr.. J.
S. Westbrook, of Faison, chairman of
directors; Mr.. ]. H. Moore, of Burgaw,
secreary of the board of directors; Mr..
j. A. Brown, of C%hadbourn, chairman
OF the executive committee, and Mr.. G.
M. Steinmetz of Rose Hill, secretary of
the executive committee.
President Hill presided, and General
Secretary Harnly was at his post to
record the proceedings.
The roll call showed that a majority
of the delegates were present, number
ing about IS in all. All the local asso-
Citations, except Whiteville, were rep
resented as follows: Rose Hill, Teach
Cy, 4NcW IlduOFcl, dlSOu, CuduDOuIu IL,
Magnolia, Clinton, Wallace, Mt. Olive,
Burgaw, Rocky Point, Warsaw, Cur
RE and Fayetteville. These local asso-
Citations are embraced in seven coun-
ties, and the delegates were made up
OF the best class of citizens from the
respective counties.
The minutes of the last annual meet
ing were called for. General Secre-
4>~,v IA 10000
books with the minutes were Destroy
ed in the fire when his office, that Of
the Truckers and Planters Journal
was burned. He informed the meet
ing, however, that a record of the
meeting was preserved in the columns
Of his paper, copies of which had been
preserved, but he had not had time
to get them out and put them in shape
to be read at this meeting. The read
ing of the minutes was therefore dis
pensed with.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
President Hill next addressed the
association, and he spoke of the work
of the association and the outlook for
the berry growers. He said just a
year ago the association met in the
city, then with same remuneration
for the year of ardious toll and with
high hopes of the future, largely found
ed on the strawberry interests, but he
deprecated now the unsatisfactory
result of the season just ended. He
deplored the unsatisfactory transport
tation of the season and the low prices
obtained in consequence, and urged
renewed efforts upon the association
30 1o01- - +I0;r Gno-o;o1 -foro1 or
other organizations are doing. "To
do this" he said, 1--WE must decide on
the best course to persue and then
stand as a unit. The object for which
our association was founded is mutual
protection, and the advancement of
the interests of it's members in the
trucking and fruit growing business.
Through this organization t~ransporta-
ton has been reduced both by the re-
frigerator and express companies, and
the volume of business for the trans
portation department has increased in
strawberries alone to such an extent
that it overtaxed the capacity of the
California Fruit Transportation cars,
even though supplemented by the
California Fruit Express cars, to trans
port the goods" He spoke at some
length about the unsatisfactory con-
ditiOn of the transportation facilities,
and the depression from low prices.
He urged the association to adopt &C
tive and systematic methods to secure
better transportation, and as to prices
he reminded the association hat a
proper distribution was the key note.
IF the truck farmer" ne declared,
worked half as hard to distribute and
sell his produce as he does to make it,
there would be quite a revolution in
his condition and finances. This ques-
ton of distribution as we'll as trans
portation enters SO largely. into our
plan of business that it is indeed diff
ficult to tell where to begin to grapple
with it, and it is a question that each
grower must solve for himself"
President Hills address was couched
in ornate phrases in many particulars,
and in others it was strong and point
ed, eliciting warm applause upon its
conclusion.
REPORT OF DIRECTORS.
Mr.. c. NJ. Steinmetz, secretary of the
executive committee, read the report
of the board for 1898. The report
covers the same ground as the address
of the president and the shipping mas
ter of the association as to ~unsatisfac-
tory shipping facilities. The report
states that the directors secured a re-
duction of five cents per crate on ber-
ries to all points, and says: When
your association was first organized,
we were shipping berries under a rate
of $1.25 per crate, taking New York as
a basis; since that time We have re-
duced your freight rates rs cents per
crate, or 20 per cent. = y The
reduction has saved the shippers for
the year 1897, s33,SO0; for the year
1898, S66,250 making a total
of 500. $50 saved in freight rates to the
shippers since the organization of
your association" The directors COM
plain that the freight rates are yet far
in excess of those enjoyed by compel
1tors. In the opinion Of the board the