The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 7, 1903, Page 9

THE SA Anderson Outlines Plans of Much Interest. Orchard Products Go to the East With System. ANDERSON. the formation of the Distributors in May, i the organization immediately f the functions and duties fornia Growers’ and Ship- ation, together with greatly wers, duties and business being not only BY ALDEN theiy ard to all shipments, etc., but ecure an even distribution thereof all markets | Memberehip in the organization is in | the quantity of shipper of one nsideration as ed There are whom has a cies and the g epresentatic £ b is thus not based on the ess done, but rather on represented. tion of the pres- ose engaged in the in- | the greatest of no regulation of avored as ep their business for that purpose 1ty, making di- kept to en route nce, that a where three cars at good figures, to have three in by different essitate the sell g « to minimum a city like Pittsburg might at the vithout any fruit, where nst a rkets would have meant re- nd satisf ry prices for NGING CONDITIONS. market was Ry r gt fact figures, the interests i tely wire to fornia Market in divers d im- large quantities. shippers were action and in a aving a good there would and serious CHA ga h uld parties that flerent s condition of affairs would shift t ther and the gen- at where & mar- s once reached was a great f that produet, it v ult to again raise vel of prices to a profitable basis. ess there P t a easy matter. ocation or supe- eir part or better fruit, enjoyed to others. that if revailing methods uld force their iness and they entirely tc J time they ely losing money for all se of on seral plan of operation nia Fruit Distributors is t purchase or emselves, but ng-house for the . shippers and asso- ns rking through them who carioad shipments. r is loaded the bill of lading the California Fruit stributors and is sent, together with t and all pertinent information ntents thereof, to the com- adquarters in Sacramento. is then disposed of for the ac- f the party loading the same. DEFINITE BURPOSES. the bill of lading and manifest contents of car are received, the agement aims to place the fruit in be best possible market for that fruit, taking into consideration the wvariety, s degree ripeness and general quality, and using their knowledge of the peeds, requirements and local or do- mestic supplies of the different mar- sets, together with previous shipments as a basis of action. Not only e they complete and ac- e POSTUM CEREAL. r own 1 over t of A SURE TEST Of Whether Coffee Really Hurts or Not. Some folks drink coffee and suffer day after day, but console themselves by saying, “I don't believe it hurts me, or at any rate I am not sure that it does.™ The sensible thing to do is to maké by leaving off coffee and using Postum for a week or so. The trial is pleasant and you may learn some- thing worth more than money to you the way of health and strength. An intelligent woman, whe valued her health and comfort, made sure. She says: “I have proved positively hat when I used coffee I had kidney and bladder trouble, palpitation of the heart, stomach trouble, insomnia and my complexion was sallow and muddy, but T got rid of all these troubles when 1 quit coffee and took on Postum Food Coffee. All my troubles disappeared quickly, almost as if by magic, and in their place I became strong and well. “I soon learned to like Postum as well as I ever liked coffee and I would )not exchange my delicious cup of Pos- um for coffee and sickness for any- thing in the world.” Name given by Postum Co., Battle Creek, Mich. Look in each package for a copy of the famous little book, “The Road to Wellville,” sure respon- | oSt accurate informa- | g of general business directions. | for busi- | them- | of the shipments to | f the California Fruit | they | 1 ! st i | 1 t ! | | | | | | curate information of shipments | previously forwarded, as they make all sales and apportionments telegraphic informa from all the leading centers esent condition, prospective dema amount and variety of local supplies and all other matters perti sary tb the most diversions receive is went and nece gent distribution of the fruit | They immediately stopped all private consignments to outside points and de termined that all fruits not sent to the | East to be sold at auction should be | sold on what is known as the “f. 0. b. | California plan,” i. e., price for the product should be fixed in California and a draught for the value |of the car be drawn on the bill of | lading and manifest payable before de- |livery_of the car, and that under no circumstances would the price agreed upon be reduced on any shipments, | whether sold before going or sold en | route, on any shipment leaving Califor- nia on the same day; the idea being that the shippers when sending their | fruit to outside points should know | jast exactly what they were going to | receive for their fruit and that dealers f they bought the fruit would be in- | terested in maintaining prices rather | than cutting them; further, that those | who purchased the fruit, as long as they had to purchase, would know that their competitors could not buy at a |lower price than that at | could purchase, as it was believed that if buyers could be guaranteed against |a d@ecline that the business would be en- | ergized and stimulated and a greater distribution of products in the outside markets be had, all of which has proven to be the case. NEW TERRITORY. The distribution of fruit to the auc- tion markets is made with the utmost care and long experience in the busi- ness is called upon to direct what fruit should be sent to the different mar- kets and to apportion to each market the relative proper amount of fruit to keep them all on a comparetive equal- ity, after taking into consideration the difference in the cost of transportation and refrigeration charges to the dif- ferent points. Another great benefit of united action is the exploitation and development of new markets. Fruit was placed this year in no less than twenty-eight dif- ferent cities that never before had re- celved California fruit in car load lots, and while not all of them may prove to be advantageous points, the most ot them undoubtedly will. The saving in expense of telegraph- ing, mail, etc., much more than pays the total expense of the organization. The first season the endeavor was made to direct a part of the distribution from the Chicago office, but it did not work satisfactorily, and this year all of the distribution was directed from the Sac- ramento office, and the efficacy and wisdom of this action is so manifest and proper that I apprehend no one will question the expediency again or agree to amny other action In the fu- ture. TRANSPORTATION NEEDS. The most serious problem to be solved now is the one of transporta- tion. Little more can be done toward systemizing or increasing the volume of shipments until this important matter is worked out satisfactorily. We must have a regular as well as an expedited service to the end that we can know positively, barring ac- cidents, just where a car of fruit would be at any given time. About 60 per cent of the shipments are distributed through the auction markets. No fruit is sold in these markets on Saturday or Sunday. Ship- ments are made from California on every day, including Saturday and Sunday. Suppose, for instance, that a certain number of cars were sent to Chicago to arrive on Friday in Ltime for the last auction sale of the intelli- | that a minimum | which they | 1 | v fruit arrives too late to e. It must remain on Monday with constant regards quality, and value, and-on Monday it would also be due, making an undue and relatively improper of- fering. The allottments having all been comparatively made, if the cars that | @ia not arrive there Friday for sale should be diverted to other markets, it wouid throw the other markets out of balance and the whole scheme of distribution upset. Thus everything depends upon transportation, for on perishable products it is a well-known undeniable fact that a day lost is never regained, to say nothing of deterioration and consequent loss on shipments when to long en route. STRENUOUS EXERTIONS. The most strenuous efforts will be put forth by the California fruit distributors to obtain such a service, and until such a service is had it will not be felt that the most vital neces- | sity of the business is secured or the | next most necessary reform accom- plished. Other reforms and changes will have to and will be made, but lit- tle more can be accomplished until this stumbling block is out of the way. | It is only because of the splendid carrying qualities of the California | fruits and the intelligent packing and | preparing of same that they have been able to maintain their present position in the various markets, and there is no reason why the industry cannot and should not be maintained upon a permanent, stable remunera- | tive basis on average results for all | seasons. The past season, by discounting the promised schedule time and - figuring upon the probable arrivals in the sev- eral cities based upon the actual time being made, very fair comparative re- sults were attained. There were no gluts or comparative oversupplies in any of the markets and the net returns were fairly satisfactory. How much better they would have been with bet- ter time can only be estimated. PLEASING RESULTS. Thus far, cut of diverse interests, se- crecy and undue competition has come a measure of order, system, stability and satisfactory returns and, while to | favorable conditions in the East might | be attributable a part of the result, it cannot wholly be so attributed, be- cause never before in the his- {tory of the business has there not been times of glutted markets and “red | ink returns” from some of the dis- tributing points, and besides the ship- ments this year were greater than ever before by several hundred carloads. With a proper selection and careful grading of the fruit and an expedited scheduled freight service, and with pos- sible reductions in charges in different ways from time to time, I believe that 12,000 cars of deciduous fruit can be | marketed from California with as good or better results in the future as ever attained in the past, and the organi- zation and maintenance of the Califor- nia Fruit Distributors is a long step to- ward that consummation. It is a long stride in the direction of intelligent and practical co-operation in the handling of one of California’s chief products, with the consequent benefit to the whole industry and to the State. and —————— Stockton will have a fence factory, in which will be manufactured all kinds of farm, railroad and ornamental fences. A company has been incor- porated with a capital of $100,000, with R. E. Wilhoit as president. ¥t FRANCISCO CALL," MO. MARKETING OF FRUITS AND MANUFACTURED ARTICLES CONSIDERED IN ABLE PAPERS BY MEN WHO ARE A Goodwin Supplies the Pointers for Commerce. He Definitely Shows Where Trade Awaits. —_—— BY EUGENE GOODWIN. The question of the economic position of the Pacific Coast of the United States in the future foreign trade of the Pacific Ocean is an interesting one, as it is now and will be a factor in the growth and expansion of S8an Francis- co and of California in which all of its citizens are interested. With ever increasing avenues of trade to the Pacific Ocean being pro- jected and opened. such as, for instance, the isthmian canal, the Tehuantepec Rallroad and connecting steamship lines, the Orient and Gulf Railroad i | | * 5 TYPICAL STATE BOARD OF TRADE EXHIBITS PERMA- NENTLY MAINTAINED. 1 - - + from Kansas City to Port Stillwell on the Guif of California and its ‘connect- ing steamship line thence to Oriental ports, and the projects for other trans- continental lines of railroads across the United States, it must be apparent to the student of the subject that, while these new avenues of transportation will be of advantage to the marketing of California products, the present dis- tributive trade of this port to foreign countries, of articles not the product of the State or coast must necessarily be affected adversely to our interests. Assuming this to be true it behooves capital to develop with all energy pos- sible new industries in this State, where the raw material used in connec- tion therewith is available to rail and water transportation and for the pro- ducts of which there is already a de- mand on this coast. CONSUMERS' NEEDS. In discussing the foreign trade of this port it is interesting to note the move- ments of foreign trade at the present time, in countries connected by steam- ship lines with San Francisco and in commodities produced on this coast. India, for instance, imports annually dried and preserved fruits and vege- tables to the value of more than half a million of dollars. This supply of fruit is shipped to India from the Straits Settlements, France, Italy, Hongkong, England, Arabia, Turkey, British East Africa, Ceylon, China, Egypt, Germany, Austria and the United States in the order named. Canned fruits valued at $25,600, other fruits and nuts valued at $2900 and canned vegetables valued at $6600 were shipped last year from all the United States to all the British Indies which includes India, the Straits Settlements, Ceylon, etc., but the proportion furnish- ed by the United States will be seen to be very small when compared with the requirements of India for such articles, India’s imports of lumber were val- ued at $870,000 last year, to which the United States contributed but $6700, England, the Straits Settlements, Aus- tria, Australia, Germany, Norway and other countries belng far ahead of the United States in their trade with India in this commodity. India imported last year wines valued at $940,000, of which the United States contributed but $1800, twenty-three countries being ahead of the United States in their shipments of this arti- cle to India. Included in these coun- tries is Australia, which stood sixth in the volume of busines with India, exporting an article certainly not su- perior to California’s product, but sold in quite large quantities through ju- diclous advertising and pushing sales. ORIENTAL DEMANDS. During 1902 Japan imported con- densed milk valued at $322,000, of which the United States furnished milk valued at $124,000, but only a very small proportion of this article was the Pa- cific Coast product. The demand for DECEMBER - B 1903. LIVE TO WELFARE OF THE abroad should stimulate California dai- rymen to renewed activity and enlarge | operations to permit their sharing in the trade of foreign markets contigu- ous to this port. The annual imports by China of can- dles of various sizes, colors and weights are valued at $300,000, and the inhabit- ants of the Philippine Islands consume each year importations of the same ar- ticle valued at $125,000. California pro- duces the raw materials of excellent quality and at low cost required in the manufacture of candles, yet our manufacturers have not yet seen fit to cater to this trade by providing new appliances regiired in the production of the size and quality of candles de- | sired by the consumers in China and the Philippines, but are content to leave the fleld clear to the manufacturers in England, Belgium, Germany and 8pain. The demand for foreign beer and wine in China is increasing rapidly, and last year the importations were valued at $885,000, yet England, Germany and France provided the greater part of these articles and Japan provided a large and increasing quantity of beer, while the United States contributed but $100,000 in the value of these prod- ucts shipped to that country. FIELD IN AFRICA. South Africa offers an inviting and ever increasing field for the sale of can- ned fruits and vegetables, lumber, etc., and the Pacific Coast has contributed to the quantities shipped there, yet it is known that the majority of the business in these commodities is not done direct with the importers in South Africa, but in many cases through English houses, with the re- sult of increased cost to the consumers and possibly lower prices to the local exporter. | How many manufacturers and job- bers of San Francisco realize that the value of shipments to Alaska dur- ing the fiscal year 1903 was $9,266,- 500, of which they furnished less than one-third—the merchants of Puget Sound and Portland having shipped goods valued at $6,300,000 to an im- portant market which has more than trebled in value since 1895? These few instances of opportuni- ties for the extension of trade abroad for Pacific Coast manufacturers and exporters may be multiplied many times, and if each case were intelli- gently exploited increased exports from this coast would undoubtedly follow. The increase in the volume of trade would not come by leaps and bounds, but each year would show the results of intelligent efforts. As an exporting nation of manu- | | factured articles, the United States is yet young in comparison with Eng-. land and continental Europe, and miany of the methods of the older countries of acquiring and keeping foreign trade are worthy of emula- tion by many United States export- ers. England and Germany hold the larger share of the trade of South America through the branch houses of London, Liverpool and Hamburg firms located at the principal ports of that continent. These .branch houses know the trade requirements of each country, comply with them, grant liberal terms of credit and in turn preserve the balance of trade with their home countries by export- ing to them the raw products of South America, some of which actually reach the United States via European ports. MUST HAVE GOODS. The importer in Peru will not be convinced by a catalogue, especially dairy products both at home and|if printed in English, that a San COUNTIES DIFFER IN SECURING THE CHANCES OFFERED | Pictures of some of the per- manent county exhibits main- | tained by counties of California in the hall of the California State Board of Trade are pub- lished this morning. Many more could be used to illustrate the attractive methods which certain counties have adopted to bring their products before the tens of thousands who annual- 1y critically inspect the show maintained by the State Board of Trade. Those that are por- trayed to-day are sufficient for the purpose. | It will surprise thousands to know that there are thirty-six California counties that have not yet taken advantage of the opportunities for display fur- nished in the ferry building, through which at least 30,000 persons pass daily. The follow- ing counties are represented by permanent exhibits in San Francisco: Shasta, Tehama, Butte, Placer, Sacramento, Hum- boldt, Mendocino, Lake, Sono- ma, Marin, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Alameda, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Fresno, Tulare, Kern and Los Angeles. To this should be added Santa Cruz County, which will install an exhibit of its products with the beginning of the year 1904. The counties that are not in evidence in this city by an ex- hibition of their products in the hall of the State Board of Trade are: Alpine, Amador, Cala- veras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Do- rado, Glenn, Inyo, Kings, Las- sen, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Modoe, Mono, Monterey, Ne- vada, Orange, Plumas, River- side, San Benito, San Bernard- ino, San Diego, San Luis Obis- po, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Trinity, Tuolumne, Ven- tura, Yolo and Yuba. A nronE effort will be made by the State Board of Trade to induce the counties not repre- sented by exhibits to taks ad- vantage of what is offered by the board to gain the attention of thousands of visitors who ar- rive in this city and are on the lookout for eligible localities in which to settle. —_— Francisco article depicted and des- cribed therein is better for him and his tradé than a similar article which he now buys in England or Germany, nor will the English or other foreign merchants in China or Japan, who handle the bulk of the foreign im- portations into those countries, be convinced in a similar manner that their importations which now origin- ate in England or the continent of Europe should be diverted to the Pacific Coast of the United States. The San Francisco manufacturer or distributer must have, first, the article required for consumption.in the coun- try in which he desires to extend his trade and, what is equally important he must solicit business In his line in the same manner that he would seek il | | || The STATE State Enterprises Now | Contain Much Promise. Developments Give Assurance for the Future. The manager of the State Board of Trade has information from the San Luis Obispo Board of Trade that an incorporation has just been made in San Luis Obispo County, with head quarters at San Luls Obispo, for th | purpose of engaging in the business seed growing. The incorporation | under the title of the Haven Seed Com- | pany. The projector and head of the enterprise, Mr. Haven, came recently from South Haven, Mich., where he has been farming 400 to 600 acres of land He hopes soon to be farming in this branch on an equally large le ir San Luis Obispo County. Local parties have also become in terested in this new enterprise and have invested money in it. Mr. Haver says repeated failures in Michigan led him to seek California, where climati and other conditions are favorable Manager Briggs also has a letter commending the work now being done in The Call to advertise the interior of the State. The letter says: “I want to thank you for the publicity given | this county in your article in The Cail | some weeks ago. 1 refer to some new | enterprises which had been started here. Several inquiries have been re- ceived as a resuit of that article. I want to assure you that you will have |the hearty and earnest support and nperation of our Board of Trade in | | encouraging homeseekers to come, and | in directing them after they reach the State.” Modesto Herald says that a reeting of the directors of the Modes- | to irrigation district will be held the | present week to fix the date for hold- |ing a special election to refund $332.- 000 in 6 per cent bonds that were used | in the completion of the irrigation sys- tem. All excavation work has been completed with the exception of one lateral, which will be about three- fourths of a mile long. POINT RICHMOND GROWS. The Point Richmond Record says less than three years ago Point Richmond had a population of less than fifty versons. Now. the population is more than 4000. The locality also boasts railes of deep water frontage, where rg> ships can come close to the shore to discharge eargoes, the largest oil refnery on the Pacific Coast, that employs 1000 men, the terminus of a great transcontinental road with two other icads seeking an entrance, ac- stone works and other enter- prises. The San Diego Union says that a quarter of a mile of water front be- tween Pacific Beach and La Jolla has been £0ld, to be improved. According to the Chico Record, the construcuon of buildings for the great plant of the Diamond Match Company is about to begin at Barber, which is near Chico. The plans provide for a large 1aachine shop, 200x75 feet in size; an office building 42x90 feet; also for a | planing miill, four storehouses, a box factery, a sash and door factory, a | power-house, a strawboard paper mill and other buildings, all on a large neale. The Davisville Enterprise says that plans have been draughted for an opera-house and clubhouse for Davis- ville. The Sacramento Bee tells of the re- cent improvements in Suisun. A large tract of land has been bought as the site of the Suisun Olive Company's operations. The Portland Cement Com- pany will build an electric railway to extend to Suisun from the company's works. The Redding Free Press reports that | recently twenty carloads of rich quartz were shipped as one tralnload from the Middle Creek district to the Kes- wick smelter. The Humboldt Times reports that an- other power plant will be established at the mouth of New River to furnish light and@ power to the city of Eu- reka. @ il 0 new trade territory in the domestic market; that is, by sending intelligent agents to show his goods and push their sale or, what is still more effec- tive, by establishing a branch house in the principal distributing center of the country in which he desires to seil his goods. LIMIT NOT REACHED. A campaign of this kind for new markets means the expenditure of money and probably slow returms, if not actual losses, for the first year. There are, however, many instances known to have occurred among San Francisco manufacturers and jobbers during the past two years, where these intelligent methods have been crowned with success, and the volume of busi- ness of firms enhanced to a degree that would not have been possible in the restricted home market. These instances of success may by no means be followed by all others who may try the same methods, but they are instanced because they show the result of intelligent and up-to-date methods in seeking foreign trade. In a general way it may be sald that, based upon the statements of many persons qualified by experience and knowledge acquires by residence in he Orient and the Latin-American Stats’ by the testimony of United States Con- suls and, still more forcibly, by the ex- amples at hand among the successful loeal exporters, it is apparent that Cali- water. The Pacific Commercial Museum af- tords facilities for the study of foreign trade opportunities on the Pacific. it sig