The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-06-04
BURTON EXPLAINS
CITRUS SITUATION
In Lake County-Local Or
ganization Formed for
Sale of Fruit.
Emeralda, Fla, Nav 81.


The clipping you enclose (editoria
, from News) leaves little to add.
have not seen the article in the Me
tropolis that you refer to, and an
therefore in no position to Judge OF
, the correctness Of any statement thai
, may have been made therein. l pre-.
sumo you refer to the jacksonville
Metropolis.
Information furnished to the news.
papers is through the efficient mana.
ger of the publicity department OF
the Exchange, which of course is fur
nished by its Tampa Office, which is
not in position to give accurate infor-
nation relative to conditions in Lake
county. They have been urged to
come to Lake county and get in touch
with the growers, ascertain the real
conditions and meet them. They
have replied that they don't believe
the conditions are as represented to
them, and make no effort to change
them, nor to get in closer touch with
these growers.
The facts are that in this county a
large part of the unorganiZed fruit
was sold and forwarded before Christ
mas at prices ranging from 60 cents
to $1.00 per box on the trees. This
was referred to the Tampa office (of
the Exckange) with an urgent re-
quest that something be done toward
fgetting as much, cr more, for Ex-
change members. The Exchange
growers were, in tie main, loyal.
Those who were, took their medicine
until the season was over, when to
man they withdrew. hand you here
with statement from the manager of
the Leesburg Citrus Growers Asso-
ciation.. This statement speaks for
itself. His management was above
reproach and he will probably con-
duct the association next season un-
der practically the same directors.
You will note in this statement that
for 81 900 boxes the growers have re-
ceived roundly $4,000, from which
must be deducted about Is cents per
box for picking, hauling and deliver
ing at the packing house, leaving
about $4,000 net to the grower on
the trees, while roundly $4,000 was
paid to the Exchange and sale eX-
change. This covers oranges, grape
fruit and tangerines, and for the en-
tire season, including the late ship
ments.
This condition was duplicated in
other sections of the county. Eustis,
with Grand Island, has organized a
new independent association. Grand
Island may later organize separately.
Emeralda is entirely out of the Ex-
change, and Lake county will Soon or
ganize a county sales agency under
not to FIGHT THE EXCHANGE, nor
anything else BUT LOW PRICES.
The growers in this county believe
in efficient organization. They feel
that they are not sufficiently close to
the Exchange and they are therefore
preparing to handle their own inter-
ests as a county. until such time as
there is statewide organization that
will appeal to them as efficient.
The only argument that appeals to
them is THE MONEY FOR THE
FRUIT. There has not been time
during the past season when outsid-
ers have not received more for their
fruit than those inside the organiza-
ton.
The Exchange has done much AD-
VERTISING of good prices obtained
in APRIL AND MAY. More than
500 boxes held until after April 1st
nets the grower $655.00. That crop
would have shipped certainly 30 per
cent more when it could have been
sold for more per box, avoiding any
risk from cold. This is not an isolat-
ed case, but general. This fruit was
pooled in one of the best houses in
the State and of course represents
what the pool paid to all growers
shipping in it.
The movement in this county is
county affair 1t is not trying to
reach beyond Lake county. We be-
| lieve that if unorganized growers can
sell their fruit at home for twice as
much as the Exchange has been able
to get the past season, we can get
more by organization, end that when
we demonstrate it. the balance of the
State will come with us in volunta-
Try cooperative agency among the
growers. We do not believe it neces-
sary to keep a strong force of solicit
ors in Florida, nor do we believe that
it is at all necessary to spend thou
sands of dollars in the State papers
pleading with the growers to come in
out of the wet-into deeper water and
drown.
The Exchange made substantial
gains both in Florida and in the mar
kets while it was building confidence
in the minds of the grower and the
buyer. When it abandoned this poll
cy and adopted one that in effect de-
stroyed that confidence it created
condition that makes it necessary for
the growers of Lake county to get
into real cooperative action, which
they are. doing, hoping that they may
aid in the correct solution of the mo-
mentous question of how to get living |
prices for the products of our groves.
Yours.
R. P. BURTON.
Another gentleman in Lake county
writes:
"We are not making a fight on the
Exchange. In fact every man in this
independent organization is true
Exchange man, and the Exchange
principles are embodied in its plans.
These people did not break away from
the Exchange from choice, but from
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