The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1907-03-15
OBJECT OF
THE LEAGUE
Address of ViCe-President Rob-
inson to Pineapple Growers
NOT A FIGHTING BODY
lis Purposes are to AmiCably Adjust all
Questions Between Growers and the
Transportation Companies.

At largely attended meeting Of the
pineapple growers held in Fort Pierce
Wednesday, Vice-President G. A. Rob-
inson gave toe following address:
To the Members of the Indian River
Pineapple Growers League.
Gentlemen: This being the semi-an-
nual meeting of our League, a short
report from your acting President will
be expected by many growers.
+. M. Hudson, your president, having
resigned the office shortly after his
election to the Senate of this State,
the duties of president fell upon your
humble servant as vice-president and |
am free to acknowledge that | have
not been as active as should have been
and while do not like to scold, | must
confess that have been hampered and
embarrassed by our board of directors.
have called for meetings of the board
at various times when business Of i'm
portance was brought up for consider
alton and on several important Oc-
casions we failed to have quorum
present. This my friends, only tends
to embarrass your officers and to
strengthen the hands of those in OPP
position to you.
While we have virtually been asleep
for the past one or two years, we, like,
Rip Van Wrinkle, are now awakening
to the situation and hope from this
on, may give good account of our
selves.
do not propose to take up much of
your time with lengthy report.
First, | wish to say that an erroneous
impression has prevailed among some
of the pineapple growers and most es-
pecally among the officials of the
Florida East Coast Railway, as to the
object of our League.
1t may be well to state the objects
of the League at its conception and
formation and some of the causes
whereby the necessity of the League
was deemed advisable.
In the winter of 1903, it was given
out that the East Coast Railway Com
pany expected to discontinue the run.
ming Of the pickup train and the growers
would be expected to load all shipments
consisting of more than % crates of
pines into cars on such sidings as were
at that time nearest to them. You are
well aware of the commotion among
the growers that this statement caused
which led up to the call for mass
meeting to consider the situation.
After considerable discussion, it was
the sense of the meeting that we should
organize as body, the better to be
able to present to the East Coast Rail
way Company our wants and necessi-
ties and request them to aid and assist
US as will be found in Article 2 of our
Constitution which reads as follows:
1.-THE purposes for which this League
is formed are: To act as unit in all
things which appertain to the advance
ment and mutual welfare of pineapple
growers and to promote the pineapple
industry"
This brings us to the point where |
stated that an erroneous impression had
prevailed as to our organization. |
have been reliably informed that the
officials of the Florida East Coast Rail
way Company have been told hy some
persons that the object of our organiza-
ton was to fight the railway company
and the report has lately come to my
knowledge that we are trying to raise
81 900 for the purpose of fighting Mr..
Parrott as Vice President Of the Florida
East Coast railway
Now, Gentlemen, | am free to say
that if there ever has been or is at this
time, anything of this nature connected
with the Indian River Pineapple Grow
ers League, have never been aware
Of it and am opposed to any such policy
and do not believe that any member of
this League, has ever made such .
statement, therefore wish to correct
it so far as am able
1t is our desire to act IN harmony
with the railroad company in all things
pertaining to our industry. Should
there be a grievance it is our duty
tC place the same before the proper
officials and try to amicaby adjust the
same. If after using our best efforts
and still unable to get whatever we be-
lieve to be entitled to, then of course
we have our recourse to the Railroad
Commission or otherwise, but | am
happy to say that as yet do not know
of single instance in which we have
had to resort to the Railroad Commits
sion.
Going back to the organization of
the League, at the mass meeting a
committee was appointed to confer
with the growers and learn if possible
Just what our grievances consisted Of,
that we might be able to present them
to the officials of the railway company
for action.
! find on looking over the report of
your committee, which was received
- ,lo.>tol an Eabr,,r, 10 1uni Al,