Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-10
GUT LOOSE FROM
BROKERS, ADVICE
Walnut Growers Urged by Expert
to Do Their Own Mar
keting
MIDDLEMAN'S GRIP TIGHTENS
Declares Only Hope Lies in Per-
lection and Strengthening
of Organization
MIDDLEMAN's GRIP TIGHTENS

The period ofharvesting and market
ing the walnut crop is of special inter-
est to every one engaged in the indus
try in Southern California.
Last year gave encouragement to the
pessimists and new life to the business.
While the crop was below the average
in quantity, 1t was above in quality.
There was large decrease of loss by
blight and very few nuts were unsafe
able. The price was fair for first
grade. but was unnecessarily low for
seconds With the crop of 1909 all
sold the crop of 1910 should face
hungry market.
We passed through three years of
successive drought that dried the soil
and lowered the submoisture far below
the usual depth. Even by irrigation
the water did not reach the deep, dry,
substratum of earth. In consequence
the taproots and deep roofing laterals
were In dry ground for months, which
diminished the vitality AM growth of
the trees. causing the eXtremities of
the limbs to die as well as partially
filled nuts. Our trees have nearly
recovered from the effect of those dis
couraging years and we enter on new
era that will prove the walnut industry
for remuneration equal to any. AS
the fathers of our republic formed a
union for protection. SO did the walnut
growers of Southern California In an
early day cooperate by association for
the protection of their industry. rms
wise provision has proved more effec-
tuaI as il grows in organic strength
1t is charged that the Walnut Grow
ers association is a trust or combine
to increase the price of food to the
consumer. If this is true, its object
is not commendable and should be uni
Versally condemned. But it is CO.
Ns..N. Fs,tsf laa fNEsA
of securing to the grower, as far as IL
can. the price paid by the consumer;
otherwise it would go to the jobher.
who would dole out to the grower the
least share. As it is, the consumer
pays about twice as much as the
grower receives.
James ]. Wilson, the secretary of
agriculture. says:
"There are too many middlemen try
ing to live off the farmers produce.
and the increase of prices follow and
great increase of cost to the con-
sumner"
Last summer the people of the bay
cities paid from $50 to $40 ton for
grapes, while the growers in the Sac
ramento and San Joaquin valleys were
getting Sc or IS. Who was skinning
the consumer? IT was not transpor-
tation, and sure 1t was not the grow
ers They, as usual, were disorganized
and helpless.
Founded on the experience of the
past. | believe it would be for the IN
terest of the walnut growers TO cut
loose from the brokers without delay
aud do their own marketing. The
tightening of their aggressive grip on
the growers is more apparent. They
have advanced their rate of commits
sion for selling. A few years ago they
were /scrambling for the privilege of
handling the crop at a much less rate
than they are now eXacting. There is
no evidence that it costs more to sell
carload of walnuts now than then. If
the crop was small they have claimed
thousands of dollars from the growers
as an indemnity against pretended
loss If the crop was large it afforded
an excuse to fall down after the crop
had been partially received, on the
price previously agreed upon and then
taking advantage of the growers eX-
tremity, buy the remainder at a great
reduction; and that on product which
, did not supply more than third of the
home demand 1t is strange that after
being pinched by these willy schemes
there are growers who appear ia be
hound to the brokers as firmly as the
dead body of Hector to the chariot
of Achilles They say the present
method of selling is good enough and
we had better let good enough alone,
Our grandfathers thought bleeding
was good enough for the treat
ment of fevers. and they let the
surgeons bleed them until they bled
them to death
We may learn valuable lessons along
this line from the costly experience of
others. Some of the Fresno grape
growers organized the Raisin Grow
ers association in 1898 with an erratic,
intractable man at the head, and
Heterogeneous membership of Armeans.
Italians Portuguese Russians and
others. There was little cohesion in
the body. They never got beyond sell
ing their raisins to the local packers.
The jobber stood between the asso-
citation and the kingdom of heaven.
The end came in strife, division and
litigation, since for several years they
have sold their raisins for less than