Imperial Valley press., 1913-02-26


one we now have, A thousand and
one gather toll from the producer, up
on whom they live, but perform no
necessary useful service in return
These commercial highbinders would
reduce the high cost Of living by re
ducing prices to the farmer, a principle
that no lover of his state or nation
could endorse, for the prosperity OF
the farmer is the prosperity of every
other industry. This bill il enacted
would cut out these financial blood
suckers and bring those who till the
soil and clothe and feed a world closer
to consumers.
To devise a system of preserving by
cold storage or otherwise the perish
able product that now must be i'm
medately marketed or it becomes a
loss to the producer or shipper.
To organize a system of packing and
inspection, and to establish grades and
standards in every line. Of produce OF
product that passes through the hands
of the commission. All products for
shipment should be carefully inspected
by an honest and competent inspector.
and that inspector should be at the
farmers end Of the line, and not al
the other end, after all shipping eX-
penses have been incurred. Any one
who has had any experience in con-
signing produce knows that it is
common practice among commission
men to dock the farmers returns for
bad or damaged product.
Judge Mecham Of Sutter county in
rendering a decision in favor OF
cisco commission firm, said: "As .
judge. my attention has been attracted
a great many times to cases where
farmers have sent their grapes and
produce to Oakland and San Francisco
commission men. The produce usually
arrives green or in some unmarketable
condition. 1t is too bad that such mat
ters arise. In this case the produce
company should have had a man at
Peters to accept or reject the grapes
in question. The plaintiff here proves
by seven or eight witnesses that the
grapes We're good at Peters and the
defendants three witnesses say the
grapes We're green when they arrived
at Oakland. The preponderance of evi-
dence is one-sided. Judgment in favor
of the plaintiff as prayed for"
To adopt and use a state brand or
label on products packed by the COM
mission, which will be a guarantee of
quality to the trade, and will create
new markets, and better market con
ditions by inspiring confidence in those
with whom the commission would do
business. Especially would this be
true with foreign dealers.
To establish bureau Of information
and correspondence on all subjects
pertaining to the harvesting, storing,
preserving, packing, distributing and
marketing. To investigate the ques-
ton of supply and demand, prices and
price manipulations, and give the wild
est possible publicity to the informa-
ton SO collected. This department
alone would be worth more to the
agricultural interest than the annual
cost of the commission. That the pro-
nation will go unchallenged by any one
who has given the subject any thought
or has the welfare of the great COM
monwealth at heart. At the present
time the producer has little or no ac-
curate information of market conditions
save that they are bad so far as lie
IS concerned. He has no knowledge Of
the amount Of produce of various kinds
that is or may be consumed in any
city Of his state. He does not know
the kind Of produce or the favoriIe
article of product the trade demands
in different cities and localities. Anv
information he may receive along this
line comes from those who are inter
ested in bearing the price to the lowest
possible scale.
The bill is fair to producer and
dealer. There is not anything in the