The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-04-05

day evening at the College of Hawaii.
The object of the meeting was to dis
cuss the always pertinent subject of
fruit marketing, especially with refer
ence to pineapples. Following an in
teresting statement of the problem, the
nouneement by DR.. E. V. Wilcox, direc-
tor of the Hawaii Experiment Station,
that the territorial government might
soon engage actively in a cooperative
campaign of fruit marketing, in which
in effect the Territory should act as
selling agent for the local producers.
The Legislature has recently made pro-
vision for commission to investigate
the development of the fruit industry
of the Territory. It is probable that
the study so undertaken may result in
the active participation of the terri
torial government in assisting the grow
er to sell as well as to produce his
crop. This sort of assistance has for
some time been a feature of govern.
ment aid in New Zealand and Australia
but so far no American state has taken
the stand that it is the business Of the
government to help the former to mar
ket his product. Should this form of
cooperative assistance actually come to
be put into effect, Hawaii will be the
first American community in this par.
ticular field of cooperative endeavor.
The meeting was called to order at
7:45 by President Willis T. Pope, who
introduced as the first speaker Of the
evening Mr.. Lloyd Childs, special agent
in charge of the Hawaii exhibit at the
Alaska Yukon-Pacifc Exposition. Mr..
Childs spoke on the subject of coopera
tive marketing, especially dry fruit
marketing in Southern California. He
outlined briefly how when the industry
began there was no grading, no uniform
size. Prunes, aprieots and peaches
were sold at so much per pound in the
bin or tray Then the fruit began to
be graded, first for size, later for quail,
ity. He then briefly sketched the de-
velopment of the Santa Clara County
Fruit Exchange and the California
Dried Fruit Association. Both these
organizations failed to realize their
lull aim UCcduSc uOG di1 VI inc Plo>
ducers could be got to join the organ,
ization. Those who stayed out sold
at temporary advance over associa-
tion prices, which speedily disrupted
the organization, when prices again fell
back to or below the old level. This
has been the record everywhere. I'm
less practically all the growers of a
given locality combine, the organiza-
tion cannot be a success.
AS an example of a successful fruit
growers organization Mr.. Childs read a
statement drawn up by Mr.. Alfred p.
Griffith, of the Southern California
Fruit Exchange, as follows:
Fruit Exchange Methods.
.sThe organization Of the Southern
California Fruit Exchange is based on
the voluntary assignment of the fruit
of its component parts to it through
the channels as follows: In our case
the first man is the producer, the grow
er, and for the purpose of simplifying
the management of the business the
growers are first organized into asso-
Citations of such size as will be con-
venient territorially, and large enough
for each to operate a separate pack
ing house; then several association
two or more, are again gathered into
a local exchange also as to territory,
so as to be able to meet together and
discuss local business and conditions.
Then the local exchanges are merged
into the central body, the Southern
California Fruit Growers Exchange.
The association packs the fruit and
1 4 "A. h AZ
loads are, through the local exchange,
turned over to the central exchange for
sale
'.This last body maintains large
office and office force in Los Angeles
has its salaried sales agents in every
important business center where we
find it profitable to sell our goods. The
association reserves 35e. per box for
packing house expenses. The local ex-
change reserves 15c. per box for its
expenses. The central exchange makes
monthly assessments against the local
exchanges to meet its bills. Each car
of fruit pays it's own freight at the
other end, and in eases where we sell
through auctions. which we do prefer
ably in certain cities, auction commits
sions are paid by each car. The Los
Angeles office fixes the price of its
fruit, based. of course, on carefully
gathered information as to market CON
ditions. and now, the relative compar-
ative merits of each brand of fruit be-
ing established. there is not much
trouble in fixing prices subject to such
notifications as may be necessary on
account of immediate local conditions,
which will vary as to decay, etc A
system of assessment is fixed through
the season. and at the close of the sea-
son everything is equalized on the
basis of a per box rate for all fruit
shipped: and I am convinced that some
such system as this is the only way
70 handle perishable goods.
Some years ago dried fruit ex-
change was organized on the same
basis. but. perhaps because of the
lessening production of deciduous fruit
in Southern California and increasing
supply of citrus fruits. the organization
| never actually got into working shape.
One very important principle of our
organization is its voluntariness. no eff
| fort being made to eoeree. At the be-
| ginning of the season Cor YEAR, a grow
| err ar producer may assign all the fruit
under his control for Ave wears. and