The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-02-09

signments.
The "Pirates of Penzance" would
~ have to ''go away back and sit
down. if they were to come into COM
petition with the fruit and produce
commission pirates Of Seattle. Com
pared with them the ''Forty Thieves"
of the Arabian Nights were mere
novices in the art of robbing the pub
lie. Producers and consumers alike
are their victims. They "catch 'em
going and coming" IfSenator Paul
hamus is successful in his efforts to
secure the passage by the legislature
of the bill which he has prepared aud
introduced having for it's object the
regulation of the produce commission
business and the protection of the
public against the rapacity of those
engaged in it he will deserve vote
of thanks from the people. An enum-
GRAFTON of small fraction of the in
stances Of rank robbery on the part
of unprincipled commission men in
Seattle would occupy columns of
newspaper space, and while it might
cause some of the pirates to sit up
and take notice it would not accom-
plish ary lasting good so hong as the
thieves are unrestrained by some such
rigid legal requirements as those pro-
posed by the Paulhamus bill. The
writer has in mind one recent in
stance of high handed robbery which
will serve to show the ex tent to which
the most unscrupulous skunks of the
commission combine sometimes 60.
Some weeks ago, short time be-
fore Christmas, one of the most pains
taking. honest and capable orchard
lists on Orcas island shipped to a
Seattle commission firm seventy box
es of choice apples for which he should
have received at least $50, according
to the prices at which such fruit was
then selling. After waiting consider.
ably longer than he thought reason
able time he wrote to the firm for an
accounting but received no reply.
After writing once or twice more
with the same result he went to Seat
tie and personally endeavored to OBJ
tain settlement. The manager of
the concern to which the fruit was
consigned admitted that it had been
received and sold for good price
and paid for. His excuse for not set
ting with the consignor was that he
had used the money in his business
and couldn't pay, and he insolently
asked "what are you going to do
about it" The bunkoed shipper
found that a judgment against the
thief could not be collected and not
feeling inclined to spend the time and
money necessary to prosecute him
criminally he came home and denied
himself and his little family some of
the comforts which they might have
enjoyed with the money of which they
were robbed. This is perhaps an un-
usual instance of chicanery, even for
a commission man, but numberless in
stances almost as agg1 awaiting, al
though perhaps less criminal, might
be given to show the extent to which
honest producers are at the mercy of
dishonest middlemen.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
which is q staunch supporter Of the
farming interests of the state, edi
torially outlines the main provisions
of the Paulhamus bill and comments
upon them as follows:
1T provides for licensing those en-
gared in handling farm products, on
eonsignments, and requires that
every dealer shall give bond for the
faithful and honest performance Of
his duty as agent Of the producer. Il
demands the inspection Of shipments
reported unfit for market by the
horticultural commissioner and COM
| pels the dealer to keep an accurate
account Of his transactions and render
complete statements, with money re-
ceived, within ten days after disposing
| - ~ !, .orr<a,,oo r. 10 q much nondaf]