The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-08-23

TORS Re-eiects the Present Officers
The annual meeting of the directors
and stockholders of the East Carolina
Truck and Fruit Growers Association
were held in this city yesterday, there
being in attendance many OF the lead
jng truck growers and farmers in tnls
section of the state and matters OF
vital interest to the continued existence
of the association were considered and
1t is believed that a plan which was
.adopted by the stockholders will result
is the raising of sufficient revenue to
~continne the organization.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The directors meeting was held yes
terday morning in the office of the Sec
retary of the association, Mr.. H. T.
Bauman in the Masonic Tenn
pie, and the following were in atten-
dance:
Messrs. J. L. Williams, Cerro Gordo.
w. E. Springer, Wilmington; ]. S.
Westbrook, Wallace; J. A. Westbrook,
Mt. Olive; S. ]. Sarvis, Mt. Tabor; J.
G. White, Wards; H. L. Struthers,
Crisis; D. Baughner, CRISIS; M. F
GeOnhart, Chadbourn; G. E. Horten,
oChadbourn; r. C. Powell, Whiteyille;
H. J. Faison, Faison; S. H. Strange,
Fayetteville; H. T. Bauman, Whining
ton; and DR.. G. F. Lucas, Currie.
The reports of the president, busi-
ness agent and exec utive committee
were submitted and adopted. There
was considerable and earnest discus
sion of the question as to whether the
association should be continued anoth
'&er year and it was then decided to
urgently recommend to the stockhold-
ers that the association be continued
Z it having resulted in incalculable ben
>efits to the growers in this state.
MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
There was a large attendance of the
held in the county court house yester-
day afternoon, the meeting having been
called to order by the president, May
or w. e. Springer, at O'Clock. All
the officers were in attendance except
Vice President J. A. Brown, those pres
ent besides the president being Secre-
tary H. T. Bauman and Treasurer S.
H Strange.
THE PRESIDENTS REPORT.
After calling the meeting to order
President Springer read his annual re-
port. He pointed out the fact that
the parting of the ways had been
reached and the question now present
ed itself whether, for the want Of f.
nancial support the organization should
live or die. He referred to the pOssi-
bilities of better work in the future
and paid a tribute to the interest and
activities of the board of directors.
He then gave a rapid but comprehen-
.sive sketch OF the work of the associa-
tion during its II years existence for
the benefit and welfare of it's mem
,bers, the railroad, banking, commercial
and other interests. Continuing he
said:
''The actual number of crates OF
strawberries shipped from this terri
tory since the association has been do
ing business has been 4,067,380 crates
Putting the gross price at 10 cents a
Quart-which I think is conservative
the total would be SIS, GIG. The
railroad, express, refrigerator and 9TH
er transportation expenses will aver
age $1.O0 per crate, making 81, OCT $50.
This would make the returns to the
grower SS,94S,23 From this we de-
duct the expenses of cultivation, pick
ing, packing, crates, etc. estimated at
$1.10 per crate-$4, ,474, ,11S, leaving q
net to the grower Of $4,474,118 in elev-
en- years.
Now as to this vast amount four
million four hundred and seventy thous
and dollars in round numbers, being
distributed among farm help, berry
pickers and packers, crate manufac-
turers, etc, and through them to
our merchants and others, ali as the re-
suits of labor provided by this great
industry for which our association has
cared and fostered, say here today
that it is my honest opinion that the
day this association ceases to exist
from that time the end Is N sight OF
the wonderful trucking enterprise in
the East Carolina territory.
Again, four millions of dollars be-
ing paid to railroads. express compan-
des, refrigerator services and other
transportation charges, from this in
dustry, why, gentlemen, am persuad-
ed che general public do not begin to
comprehend the magnitude of what
you here today represent.
I'm naming these stupendous amounts