The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-07-02
# INTEREST
. TO GROWERS
. Hardee Urges Organization
M All Growers of Pineapples
OlINDS WARNING NOTE
.,.. If The History of Previous Strug-
H. which Proved ailures Because a
s,,ff;cioot Interest was not Taken.
Jensen Fla, June 2S, 1909.


dtOr TRIBUNE: ,,,n,. ,.o oo,,
Ino;caton of Geo. h. Andrews to the
;neapple growers urging a mass meet
. for the purpose Of perfectlng plans
methods "for the Improvement and
innate success Of the pineapple in
ustry." ..oo,,ou, Gov No.
tell the growers of the position that
have always occupied in attempting
do the very things that Mr.. Andrews
ow seeks to accomplish. Years ago.
rhsn the growers were complaining OF
ycessiye freight rates, | was among
hose who were contendng for a reduc-
On vet if my memory does not play
he false, and the report OF the FLORIDA
Railroad Commission is not incorrect,
here were certain growers OF pine
miles employed by the Florida East
last Railway to canvass the pine
mile and vegetable section OF the
Ea,t Coast to ascertain if there was
nv general demand among the growers
or a reduction. These canvassers
[laimed to have visited all of the grow
ms and made report to the Railroad
Permission to the effect that they
Found no objection to the existing rate
Except from few small growers.
| Immediately after this report was
made to the Railroad Commission,
made it my special business to try ana
lind out what growers had been inter-
piewed bv these canvaSsers; wrote to
\ good many and saw number in per-
bon and have never to this day, after
Iljligent search and inquiry, found a
single man to whom the question was
Ever submitted. shall not 90. into
"details as to the subsequent positions
held by the magnanimous canvassers
In connection with the Florida East
Coast Railway and Of the many cour-
|tesies extended to them by the rail-
road. 1t is not my intention to crltE
|cize the railroad company, Tor IT was
Ian entirely proper and legitimate busl-
mess transaction for them to endeaVor
Ito find the true sentiment OF the grow
|ers as regards the matter OF satisfac-
|ton or dissatisfaction with freight
rates; but the report made was aDso-
|lutely false, as every one knows.
After this report was made, the kali-
road Commission was appealed TO 10
come to Miami and give the growers
hearing, which they did, and at when
meeting this false report was cuSsed,
discussed and denounced, as wen as
the sweet scented committee who had
made it.
Perhaps the question may be asked,
as to what this iltie chapter IN the
history of our struggles has to 90 with
our present troubles. and ! wish to say,
it has all to do with it, for the very
reason, that our present SITUATION mas
been brought on from the very facts
that there has been at all times suth-
cient number of growers who nave Ior
various and sundry reasons stood en-
tirely aloof, or have acted in open nos
tility to our interests and to thWart
our accomplishing any thing; and ! ieel
that even now, under the absolute
necessity of doing something, that we
should exercise the greatest care III
forming any organization for our petter-
ment.
There is no such thing as all getting
together but | TO believe there are
enough men who will get together ana
stick together, to accompllsh the emo
sought, | for one, am going to draw
the dead line on those whom know
have always played fast and loose win
US. as it suited their personal interest,".
There is no one more anxious 10 get
this pineapple business on a proper
basis than myself, but ! am not gong
to "forget all the past and fall INTO
the same trap that has brought US u
the present crisis.
| have been right here for eighteen
years, and the antics of some OF our
suppa Led pineapple growers has peeh
in direct opposition to the accomplish,
ment of anything that would advance
our interests. A ajority OF the pine
apple growers are anxious to accom-,
plish something, but a large BODY OF
men are unweildy, and past experience
has demonstrated that their confidence
has been badly shaken in those mel
who might ably take the matters wei
In hand. And there is ample grouno
for this distrust; yet | believe tha'
conditions are better for business or
ganzation than there has ever peer
before, but there is going to he a closer
analysis Of the men who are to take al
Give part in this matter than ha'
cen in the past. and a man who car
not show a clean Bill of Health as re
CARDS his fidelity to the pineapple grow
ers through all of their struggles IN tne
past is going to be set aside, no matter
how sincere his repentance may appear
at this time, for have no commence
in any man who fops and tries to trin
his sails to catch the breeze, no mattel