The record-union., 1899-08-10
APPEAL TO FRUIT GROWERS
CIRCULAR ISSUED BY PLACER
COUNTY GROWERS.
Arguments in Favor Of Organize
tion for Handling Of
Crops.

The following circular has been is
sued to the fruit growers of Placer
County by the Board of Directors of
The Fruit Growers Association of
Placer County:
The time has arrived, in the history
OF the deciduous fruit industry OF
Northern California, when it is plainly
apparent to any one at all familiar
with the situation, that fruit growers
must organize as other businesses are
organizing.
IT they fail to do this and to do it
promptly the industry will soon be
thing of the past.
The capital they now have invested in
fruit properties will be utterly lost and
the cheerful homes that now make this
part of California one Of the garden
spots of the world will be transformed
into the abode Of inferior foreign ten
ants.
The reason Of this state of affairs lies,
partly in the amount of unrestricted
competition which has existed for years
among the various localities and firms
shipping California fruits; but, mainly,
in the consignment system, which OF
late years has been steadily sapping the
vitality of the industry.
OAoSI ILLS Sy Slcll1 lctl &c Quc1iliAliSS VI
fruit are constantly being thrown on
the market without price and sent
wherever the caprice or interest of the
manipulating shipper may direct, to be
sold, sometimes for what competing
buyers can be induced to pay, but Oft
ener for price agreed upon in adj
vance between these Commission mer-
chants" and buyers, wherein the inter-
QCfG nf tho oy~o in n
considered.
The fruit so handled by these ship
pers, together with all boxes paper and
labor involved, is given them gratuit-
ously by the growers, who, in addition
to this. also guarantee freight and
handling charges, so that the shippers
are in position to actually give the
fruit away and still make money in
handling it.
Under this system it is small wonder
that rascality is common and that
prices realized bear no relation what
ever to actual demand and supply.
Thus consigned fruit is used to break
prices, wherever houses in a legitimate
buying and selling business find a mar
ket, to such an extent as to render the
much longer continued existence Of
such houses impossible.
With these ''old line houses out of
the field, growers will be entirely at the
mercy of these commission houses.
These houses will then also cease to
buy any fruit outright, and we will be
forced to deliver it to them and to take
the pittance they may choose to allow
us in return-which state of affairs will
mean ruin TO the industry.
This condition already exists in some
parts of Northern California and will
soon exist here if We do not organize.
That this statement of the case is true,
no intelligent man who is at all familiar
with the situation will for minute dis
pute. The reasons that the commission
houses doing business here-notably,
Earl and Porter, are now buying fruit
as they are, are: First, because market
ing conditions in the East are remark
ably favorable this season; second, be-
cause they are trying to divert bust
ness from the old line houses: and,
third, because they are trying to con-
vince growers that there is no need of
organization.
We are convinced that, with the ex-
ceedingly favorable marketing condi-
lions existing in the East this season,
and with an organization capable of
preventing the indiscriminate and ire
sponsible priee-cutting being practiced
at present, that growers could realize
from 80 to 100 per cent better prices
than are being realized, as an average,
this season.
Organization is the secret of success.
We are now doing business as a disor-
ganized mob and so long as this con-
tinues there can be but one result.
The people with whom we do business
are all organizing; the box concerns,
nail concerns. paper concerns. transpor-
tation companies, buyers in the East
and Gamers and dryers here. If we or
ganize we can go into the business
world on an equal footing with any of
them; if we do not organize we are
their helpless victims
Last year the Gamers were not or
ganized and paid US from $40 to $50
per ton for good canning clings. This
year they are organized and are offer
ing from $50 to $50 for the same
grades of fruit.
The matter of organizing has been
agitating the fruit growers of Northern
California for some time, particularly
since the refrigerator car and shipping
concerns came to an understanding in