The San Francisco call., 1904-06-28
CASH FOR FRUIT.


made aware OF the of the market every day He
knows the freight his product and therefore mas the
means of knowing whether the buyers offer is right
not Under such circumstances the farmers who wish
to sell for cash at that days offer dispose of their prop
erty If any wish to hold for higher price they hold
In such they become spectators in their product
and may win or lose, like all spectators.
The California fruit growers need such system OF
marketing They cannot become spectators by holding,
for the product is too perishable But they need daily
cash market in which they will meet the buyers and
from which they will take the cash home for that day
transaction Under the present commission system the
producer takes undue risk. He must in the nature OF
things take of wind and weather He must fight
and fungi which attack his crop and IN ad-
dition he must take all the risk of shipment
AS shipper his risk is the greatest. The commission
man takes none OF it, The producer must pay the
freight the commission, and take what he get Tor
the buyer is miles away and does as he pleaseS
with the producers property when it gets within his
reach 1t IS obvious that if the producer get throughout
the fruit harvest the lowest price that pays
him profit at all, he better off the end OF the
son than il he take all the risk and pay all the freight
and commissions and stand all the loss. as he IS COM
PEELED under the present system
As citrus fruit the first and IS the Oldest OF our
orchard industries it is proper that should lead this
conspicuous reform in the method OF marketing our
fruit The effort to merge the whole citrus industry IN
of organization has resulted in forming
the union, which includes the product or the
whole State. We unable say from the facts now
made public whether this organization has been success
ful in including all OF the producers But there IS ey
that includes majority OF them, and if its wise
ly laid plans wisely carried 1t will surely de-
the allegiance Of every grower, and will no doubt
get it.
H. haa1 and
part of it. which expresses the whole policy by which it
intends to be governed 1T will be the policy OF the
California Citrus Union advocate and secure many
cash buyers to buy their fruit in California possible
In order do this shall every effort to adver
tise to the Eastern they buy the fruit
fair price by paying cash IN California 1t VIII also
be our policy to sell free board California usual
terms which means with privilege of inspection by the
buyer the other end. This the method operated
by the successful shippers during the most
periods, and proved be the most successful method
1t was in fact, the method which gave and always will
give support all markets. regardless OF the plan OF
selling.
THE California Citrus Union will establish in every
Eastern market personal representative of experience
look after the interests OF growers. These
agents will be constantly soliciting the buyers pur
chase the fruit free board California for cash,
free on board California. usual terms. They will be
able to make inspection and report upon the arrival of
buyer making unjust reflections
That seems efficiently safeguard the interests
of the producer. The California citrus crop has estab
lshed its market in the East The consumers there re-
aure it and must seek it OF the Eastern dealers These
naturally try to get possession of the posi-
Bile rate and they do this often by that very
unfavorabe the interests of the producer. When the
whole crop kept in hand by the agencies OF the pro-
ducer until the buyer presents himself the margin
heretofore left for the tricks of the trade disappears
and market is made solely the merits of the
product
When the buyer finds that he face the agent of
the producer and that tricks of inspection are no longer
possible and that the price he must pay includes the
cost of the system by which the producer safeguards
his interests. there appears nducement for
the buyer to economic by meeting the producer face
face in California, and paying him cash in hand for
his property. When that system the California
citrus grower will be in the position enjoyed by
the Eastern farmer.
When this system is installed i'll the citrus industry
it will necessarily follow in the of our deciduous
fruits When the opens the buyers will meet
the producers and the fruit planter will get his cash
each days shipment ard there his risk ceases. The
buyer the middleman between the producer and the
consumer. At present the middeman takes no risk
The producer takes i: all This does only the
natural risk of transportation but the risk OF chcane
dishonesty in the distant inspection and the method of
selling In his shipment there may naturally be bad
box that has "whskered in transit 1t is known to be
fact that all the rest of lot entirely sound and ex
cellent is rated with the bad box and the middle
man, who by third party agent is perhaps the
actual buyer, gets the whole lot practically for nothing
because inspection stopped at the damaged box
and the producer pays him his per cent commits
sion and the freight.
The beginning of reform will be the formation of a
deciduous fruit union the lines of the citrus union