Imperial Valley press., 1915-02-18

loads and to give the state, for the
crop of one little section around
Brawley mostly, $2,OO0,000 net f. o. b.
That two million dollars, Of course.
is quickly diffused through many in
dustries.
eve do not blame the Japanese
growers for this litigation; thcg have
been deceived by false representations.
We have financed the industry, by uu-
secured loans, and without our back
ing they would have to quit the bus
mess. First we advance them from
$40 to SIS per acre of the ground
rent. They pay for their leases from
SIS TO $50 an acre. We generally
furnish them the seed. We furnish
them material for crates, nails, pa
per, etc, which runs up to about 70
cents n crate. The rental advance
amounts to about cents a crate.
Any grower who can get backing else
where is at liberty to do so and we
would much prefer that they do it.
We furnish crate materials at only
such advance over cost as will in
sure us against loss, without COM
mcrcial profit on them, though we
are charged with cheating the grow
ers out Of $4,000 in 1912 in those
items.
Damages recovered from the rail
roads, for delayed shipments, acct
dents to shipments and overcharges
are not handled by the exchange at
all. That is up to the individual job
bcr, and | can only answer, for my
own firm that we have disbursed all
such receipts among the growers.
"We are charged with refusing
100000 crates of pony cantaloupes
and 10000 crates of standard sizes
in 1912, to hold up the market. The
totals given are gross eXaggerations,
guesswork. The cantaloupes refused
were inferior. To dump them on the
market would have meant the de-
struction of demand. We have never
refused cantaloupes of good quality.
"The cost of producing cantaloupes
on the vine ready for market Is
about 35 cents crate. To put them
in the New York market, including
the 70 cents advanced by us for crate
materials. etc, costs about S1.50 per
crate. If we ship inferior stuff and
lose it, our loss is $150 and the
growers but 35 cents, and if he fails
we lose a considerable part of the 30
cents also. And besides, if we put
inferior cantaloupes on the market the
consumer who gets the cantaloupe that
is not good does not buy the good
rantaloupes that follow on the mar
ket.
"Our exchange has not fixed the
destination Of shipments; it has acted
in that respect only as a bureau of
information. 1t has not restricted
the acreage planted. We have buii5
up an important California industry
ard distributed the cantaloupes over
the country at reasonable price to
consumers, and were happy if we
could make fair profit. The fact
is that last season we lost Sl50,000,
and we must be permitted TO coop
crate more inteligently if we are to
STAY in that business. We cannot
make close corporation of it. 'in re-
straint of trade for anybody can
come in; there is lots of land in In
Dcrial Valley; and any number Of job
hers can take up the marketing of
the crop. Last year our members
handled but 10 per cent of the crop.
"Nhat we ask is an understanding
with the Government as to what W.
cGn lawfully do to promote the trade.
! believe the government is taking
an INTELLIGENT view Of trade questic!,s,
and ! believe that if commercial nod