Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1909-07-02
THE BUYER AND DISTRIBUTOR
Ridge Pineapple Growers Associa.
ton Has Word to Say.
Fort Pierce, Fla, June 81, 'O9.

Editor Fort Pierce News:
Dear Sir We note in the Tribune
OF June 18th an editorial that does in.
Justice to the pineapple growers of this
section, wherein that paper charges
that the growers are responsible for the
low prices that have prevailed this sea-
son for the reason that they have tied
up their crops through distributing
agencies, thus driving the buyer away.
To this we would like to inform the
editor of the Tribune that the buyers
had the same privilege to tie up as
much fruit with his cash as he wanted
to buy.
The whole trouble has been this He
did not want to buy If he had there
were plenty of pines for sale,
The growers, having to decide be-
tween the commission men and the dis
tributing agents, chose tbs latter as the
best course, But this did not suit the
two-for.a-nickel broker or the long
winded-silver-p plated solicitor, so he did
everything in his power to demoralize
the grower by condemning the actions
of both the grower and the agency, and
we must express our surprise at the
Tribune apparently agreeing with them
in every particular,
Ono Of fba onitafOrc xyant az Cor RI
buy two cars, to our certain knowl-
edge, at $l00 and Sl.l5. He saw the
fruit being packed and boasted of the
fine condition of the pines, also the
pack, only to beg to be let out of the
deal as soon as the cars were ready for
delivery.
This season we have been face 20 face
with conditions that have been appall-
ing, and we are confident that the grow
err that adopted Crutch6eld & Wool
folk and Chase s. Co. as their sales
agents will have nothing to reproach
himself for, because he could not sell to
advantage and when packing crop Of
pines we have no time to hunt up mar
kets
Now, brother Wilson, you had better
come back to the grower, His hand is
little rough, and we admit his tongue
is not so smooth as the average solic-
i.or or broker, but we are sure that we
have as much intelligence as either, in
spite of the fact that you do not give
us credit for it.
Another point we would like to bring
TO the EDITORS notice is this Crutch-
field g. Voolfolk and Chase & Company
we're the instruments that helped our
growers at Washington more than any
other medium; they kept the growers
informed as to the progress Of the fight
and were the first ones to let us know
the good news and, further, they de-
serve credit for the way they have
stuck by us.
Mr.. Wilson says he devoted consider
able time to the thorough study of the
causes that have caused the present de-
preston. Had he come to some OF the
growers for information ms tead OF 60
ing to the brokers, commission and
transportation men he would have been
correctly enlightened as to the true
situation.
To show that the Tribune editor has
not been investigating the growers
side very closely in regard to the rail-
way conditions, he says: "The railway
has built freight stops on every planta'
ton" That is an absolute talsehooo'
as there are only three stops between
Fort Pierce and White City, a distance
OF five miles, and the Large majority Of
us have to haul our fruit over half
mile of heavy sand during the season
and the larger part of the year we have
to haul from two TO three miles to Fort
Pierce.
RIDGE PINEAPPLE GRowELs ASSN
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