The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-07-09
THE OPEN LETTERS

/ He i hlblNG lltl' VIZ NoNN' N''''''N~
space for several weeks in the interest
of the pineapple growers, and has made
an effort to furnish some information
and correct false statements that have
been published and circulated which
might have worked injury to the grow
el, II has not been our desire to get
into any controversy. Our object has
been exactly the reversed .onsoli-
date the growers into an organization
that could control the marketing of the
pineapple crop, as well as regulate the
price of everything used in the produc-
ton and shipping of the crop; and to be
united in an effort to secure cheaper
and better transportation rates and
service.
In a bold effort to discredit The TRI-
BUNE, or conspiracy to gain influence,
our local contemporary devoted more
than two columns of its editorial space
in msrepresenting and ms-quoting this
paper in its issue of June llth. In our
issue of June 25th we replied to this
attact so completely that our contem-
porary could make no reply.
Suffering under deep chagrin at
the utter discomfOrture of their bosom
friend and chum; r. l.. Goodwin and
Chas. Lord, in three communications
in the last issue of our contemporary,
enter the attack against The TRIBUNE.
They too, charge us with saying things
that never appeared in THE TRIBUNE.
Mr. Goodwin says: Zone of our editors
ascribed the cause of our low market
to three things, low tariff, COMPETE
ton of Cuba, and lack of intelligence
in the grower in tieing up his crop with
distributors. " The TRIBUNE has
never questioned the intelligence of
the growers. If Mr.. Goodwin thinks
that " tieing up his crop with distribu-
tors" shows lack of intelligence, let
him say so under his own name. The
TRIBUNE has never said so. Before
Mr.. Goodwin concludes his article, he
gels down to earth, and practically adj
mits everything THE TRIBUNE has con-
tended regarding the marketing of the
pineapples, except we do not believe a
Moses is needed. The average intelli-
gence of the growers is sufficient to
perfect plans that can again make the
pineapple business highly profitable.
All that is needed is organization and a
determination to stick to the organiza-
tion. The present method of every
Tom, Dick and Harry padding his own
canoe will never redeem the business
and conditions will be worse next year
except so far as the increased tariff
will benefit us.
One communication discounts the f. O.
b.buyer-can it it be possible? 1t men,
tions a case where buyer begged to
be let out Of purchase. A similar
occurrence has come under our know
ledge Git may be the same case). The
buyer found out that he was paying a
tribute of 10 cents a crate to one of
the distributors-his competitor. He
would not have been much of a bust
ness man if he had stayed in that deal.
This is why buyers left here, and others
turned brokers. II. W. Pratt, of the
Collins, Pratt & Graves Co., of Boston,
left here on that account. Several
pineapple growers have told US of
others. Our information on this SUBJ
ject has come from growers mot from
commission merchants or buyers.
Mr.. Goodwin says: eff the crop of
pines could be properly distributed our
complaints would cease and Cuba
could sendall she wanted, free of duty"
Is this not enough to condemn the
distributing agencies? What are they
getting 10 cents per crate for? 1t is
mistake to have two distributing agen-
cies. 1t is mistake to have COM
mission house distributing agency.
This should be handled by the growers
exchange or association. There is
other work for the growers, but moth
ing can be accomplished until com
plete organization is perfected.
The TRIBUNE would have consider.
able more to say on these three CON-
munications but is prevented from do
ing so by the receipt of several letters
from pineapple growers asking us to
deal as lightly as possible in our reply,
for fear of estranging the growers, Il