Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-12-29
The Denver Fruit Auction
Co. Presents Its Side of
the Case.

Co. Presents Its Side of
the Case.
Inotice in the Rocky Ford En-
terprise of Dec. 18th letter from
Mr.. Nat Wetzel, of the Western
Poultry & Game Co.
This gentleman seems worried
over some facts we have been
giving the growers lately in vari-
GUS ways. If were in his shoes.
l would be worried too; but be-
fore rushing into print, it would
have been policy on Mr.. Wetzel's
part to get hold of facts. He
seems to lay the misfortunes
which the melongrowers have had
in the past few years almost en-
tirely ut the door Of The Denver
Fruit Auction Co., when this COM
pany was only organized in De-
cember, 1897, Just one year ago.
For Mr.. Wetzel's information,
would say that for years canta-
loupes were consigned promiscu-
ously by Arkansas valley growers
to different jobbers and commits
sion men in Denver. COMPETE
ton was strong between them,
markets over-stocked, and often
freight charges ate up returns,
all were dissatisfied, the market
had no stability. 10 overcome
this competition, The Denver
Fruit Auction Co., a combination
Of some twenty odd jobbers, was
organized in Dec. 1897 and soon
after an effort was made by the
company to be appointed exclu-
sive agents for the Rocky Ford
Melongrowers association for the
Denver territory. This effort was
not successful, because the COM
mittee that Rocky Ford appointed
to confer with our company pre-
ferred to ignore the jobber and
have competition here.
They overlooked the fact that
all other varieties of fruits aud
produce go to the retailer through
the jobber, and that. the jobber
must have cantaloupes. There
was nothing left for the jobbers
to do but TO get the stock as best
they could, which we did; how
ever we were compelled to take
poor grades of stock from Rocky
Ford-practically their rejections,
also for some weeks our ship
ments were all by express, COM
= pelhng US to pay aoout % cents a
crate transportation charges,
against car load rate of SIC per
crate. 1ut even with this poor
stock. we were able to hold the
bulk of our trade, and we did
more than this, we allowed Mr..
Wood, Rocky Ford's agent, to
make the prices, which we always
met, and received for our inferior
stock.
Last year we did not send
single quotation outside of the
state OF Colorado, although we
often had car loads ON track, and
could have secured many more.
We did not quote outside of Den
yer for the SIMPLE reason that we
did not care to assist Mr.. Wetzel's
Eastern competitors, and. thereby
injure your association. Neither
did we at any time go into Rocky
Ford territory and offer cash for
the goods.
We felt the importance of the
organization i'll the valley keeping
alive. He further says that We
tried to disrupt the associations,
and he is right; we did. We felt
all along that each locality should
have its own separate association,
run its own books, handle it's own
cash, and, in fact, run its own
business. This has taken place.
Were we not right in suggesting
this? Is it not plain to every one
now?
We claim that no one man, or
body of men, such as the Rocky
Ford Association, could run the
business of the whole valley, and
last year showed that they could
not. But the interest OF all local
tiles are identical. The whole vel
ley should work together.
Again Mr.. Wetzel refers to our
ability to market 450 cars, when
we could hardly place 35 or 40,
with the whole world to work on,
but now that Mr.. Wetzel knows
that we did not quote outside of
the Denver territory, and in this
territory had the strongest comPe-
tion, viz, the whole main associa-
Aia.. ls,.aak o1rnHk