Letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, Joshua Chase, Sydney Chase, Jr., and William A. Leffler (November 9, 1935)
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, Joshua Chase, Sydney Chase, Jr., and William A. Leffler (November 9, 1935)
Alternative Title
Chase Correspondence (November 9, 1935)
Subject
Chase, Sydney Octavius, 1860-1941
Chase, Joshua Coffin, 1858-1948
Citrus--Florida
Florida Citrus Commission
Oranges--Florida
Holland, Spessard L. (Spessard Lindsey), 1892-1971
Lakeland (Fla.)
Celery
Description
An original letter of correspondence between Randall Chase and a group of business partners from Chase & Company. A portion of the letter discusses the issue surrounding Florida citrus growers and coloring adding. The color-added process involved spraying oranges with edible food coloring to make the citrus products more appealing to consumers. Similar coloring was used in butter, ice cream, and candy. In 1936, L.P. Kirkland, mentioned in the letter, wrote an article for the Florida State Horticultural Society entitled, "The 'Color Added' Situation." According to the letter and the report Kirkland wrote, he and other Florida citrus growers supported coloring their oranges since consumers usually associated oranges with the color added stamp with a higher quality product. Other topics discussed in the letter include information collected during a citrus meeting in Lakeland regarding the Federal Marketing Agreement, and the disagreement between Florida citrus growers and Chase & Company Sales Manager, W.H. Mouser, on increasing the unit of sale of citrus products in New York City.
Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965.
Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century. Randall Chase joined in the family business soon after his brother, Sydney Chase, Jr., did in 1922. Randall became the president of Chase & Company from 1948-1965.
Creator
Chase, Randall
Source
Original letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, Joshua Chase, Sydney Chase, Jr., and William A. Leffler, November 9, 1935: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.48, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Date Created
1935-11-09
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, Joshua Chase, Sydney Chase, Jr., and William A. Leffler, November 9, 1935.
Is Part Of
Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.48, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Chase Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Is Referenced By
Folder referenced in Chase Collection finding guide, http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/chase.htm.
Requires
Format
application/pdf
Extent
832 KB
Medium
3 page typewritten letter on Chase & Company letterhead
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
Sanford, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
California
New York
Washington, D.C.
Spatial Coverage
28.811729, -81.268138
28.041037, -81.951351
26.639306, -81.872995
37.166890, -119.907622
40.706518, -74.018433
38.906421, -77.041012
Temporal Coverage
1935-11-08/1935-11-09
Accrual Method
Donation
Audience Education Level
SS.K.A.1.2; SS.1.A.1.1; SS.1.A.2.2; SS.1.A.2.4; SS.1.E.1.4; SS.2.A.1.1; SS.3.A.1.1; SS.4.A.1.1 ; SS.4.A.7.2; SS.4.E.1.1; SS.4.E.1.2; SS.5.A.1.1; SS.6.W.1.3; SS.7.E.2.3; SS.7.E.2.4; SS.8.A.1.5; SS.8.E.2.1; SS.8.E.2.2; SS.8.E.2.3; SS.912.A.1.1; SS.912.A.1.6 ; SS.912.A.5.11; SS.912.A.5.12; SS.912.E.1.5; SS.912.E.2.12; SS.912.E.2.3; SS.912.E.2.4; SS.912.E.2.6; SS.912.E.1.10; SS.912.W.1.3; SS.912.W.7.4
Mediator
History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Provenance
Entire Chase Collection is comprised of four separate accessions from various donors, including Cecilia Johnson, the granddaughter of Joshua Coffin Chase and the children of Randall Chase.
Rights Holder
The displayed collection item is housed at Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Rights to this item belong to the said institution, and therefore inquiries about the item should be directed there. RICHES of Central Florida has obtained permission from Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida to display this item for educational purposes only.
Contributing Project
Special and Area Studies Collections, University of Florida
Digital Collections (UFDC), University of Florida
Curator
Marra, Katherine
Digital Collection
Source Repository
External Reference
Kirkland, L.P. "The 'Color Added' Situation." Florida State Horticultural Society, vol 49 (1936): 103-106.
Mouser, W.H. "Florida Citrus Industry: Increased Consumption Necessary to Move Larger Yields---Jobbers' Volume of Business Will Increase." The Western Fruit Jobber, vol. 2 (May 1915): 36-37.
"Sydney Chase Sr. (1860-1941)." Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Copyright 2012. http://floridacitrushalloffame.com/index.php/inductees/inductee-name/?ref_cID=89&bID=0&dd_asId=600.
Hopkins, James T. Fifty Years of Citrus, the Florida Citrus Exchange: 1909-1959. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press: 1960.
Warner, S.C. "Development of Marketing Citrus Fruits in Florida." Florida State Horticultural Society vol. 36 (1923): 198-200.
External Reference Title
Transcript
CHASE & CO
SANFORD, FLORIDA
November 9, 1955.
Mr. S. 0. Chase Mr. J. C. Chase
Mr. S. 0. Chase, Jr.
Mr. W. A. Leffler.
Gentlemen:
Last night W. C. Hutchison and I attended a citrus meeting in Lakeland. H. C. Case of Fort Myers presided at the meeting. The purpose was the consideration of recommendations by a committee on the Federal Marketing Agreement. Askew, Chairman of the Committee, mane the report that the committee recommended that we drop any further consideration of a Federal Marketing Agreement, and immediately take up the question with the Florida Citrus Commission, with a view of arranging to pro rate citrus shipments. There was considerable discussion of a sort of desultory nature. Everyone seemed to agree that a Federal Marketing Agreement was out of the question, but just how to approach the matter of control here seemed a little
difficult. A motion was finally made by Andrew Spada to the
effect that the Associated Growers favor pro-rating, and are willing to pro-rate amongst themselves, and a committee be appointed to invite the Florida Citrus exchange, American Fruit Growers, Gentile, and others to join in such an arrangement. The legal question should be watched carefully. It
will have to be in some organization under the Capper Volstead Act, which provides for grower control, otherwise we would be in trouble under the Sherman Anti-Trust Law. Judge Holland pointed out that phase of the situation, and stated that the American Fruit Growers had been indicted in California with some others account of a gentleman's agreement to reduce shipments of melons. No mention of price was made in connection with the melon movement, but Holland said that time and time again the courts had ruled that where shipments of supplies were restricted which affected prices that it was a violation of the anti-trust law. This is something that will have to be watched carefully in the celery situation in event we do not have a Federal Marketing Agreement. There should be some grower controlled organization that would provide the medium for the allotment or regula¬tion of shipments.
It might be that the AAA has something to do with prosecuting shippers who are working under some gentlemen's agreement, rather than surrendering all their rights and working under the AAA. This would be all the more reason why we
should watch carefully in the celery deal, in view of the fact that we have turned down the AAA machinery, if we substitute something ourselves.
CHASE & CO.
SANFORD, FLORIDA
Kirkland reported that he was going to Washington to confer with Doctor Campbell and Secretary Wallace on the matter of color-added. The meeting passed a resolution authorizing Kirkland to make such assurances to the Federal Government as in his judgments were necessary in order that the industry may
continue to use color-added. Kirkland explained the rather
strict color shades that were being required by the Commission. Each inspector is furnished with a metal plaque with colors, to which the fruit must conform. The idea was expressed that if Florida had to eliminate color-added it would reduce the average price of Florida oranges in the markets from 50 to 75 cents per box.
Mouser next took up the auction question. He explained at some length, in detail, in his usual manner how Mr. Schwalb, of the Di Giorgio auction, just happened to be in the state, and he called a meeting to consider:
(1) Requesting all New York receivers to pro-rate supplies. (2) To have Florida offerings sole in only two rooms.
(3) For the Florida shippers to request the unit of sale in New York City to be increases to 40, from the present unit of 20.
I told him 1 was heartily in accord with the first two propo-sitions, but the third, of increasing the unit of sale, should be omitted. Mouser was very insistent that the resolutions not be changed, and it rather looked as if he had been asked, or requested to present them in such a form. The only other shipper present who opposed the increased unit was Andrew Spada. He made some very pertinent statements, and asked whether -drown & Seccomb had been consulted. Several remarks were made, mostly by Mouser, which indicated that Schwalb had made some uncomplimentary re¬marks about Brown & Seccomb. It was even stated that drown & Seccomb had not lived up to their agreement, and that most ,of the buyers wanted the 40 unit plan, but that a few, 3 or 4%, of the buying power wanted the 20 unit and this 3 or 4% depressed the market, really should not be in business at all, and that by increasing the unit of sale the prices would be raised at least
10%, maybe more. I told Mr. Mouser that I could not follow
the reasoning: of his statements, that all commodities were being sole in smaller units, that it was the general trend of the times, and 1 could not understand how it would increase prices for the citrus industry to adopt the opposite policy. When a vote was taken I requested that I be recorded as not voting. Waverly did the same thing. I am not sure whether Spada did the same thing or not, but there were no opposing votes. Mouser was smooth
CHASE & CO.
SANFORD. FLORIDA
enough to include the two desirable features with the one to increase the unit of sale, and would not handle them separately.
I asked that we go on record, as favoring selling first, or before California, during the season when we are heaviest. Mouser replied that that would be to the disadvantage of Florida, as it would split the buying power, and it was much best to let California sell first when they had to compete with deciduous fruits, and after the California sale Florida would receive the full strength of the market. That reasoning also seemed a little unusual.
Yours very truly,
RC
(?) of Florida
Selling in 4 rooms as (?) for 10 hrs not (?) the (?) leave
(?) in different room or (?) Room 97.
SANFORD, FLORIDA
November 9, 1955.
Mr. S. 0. Chase Mr. J. C. Chase
Mr. S. 0. Chase, Jr.
Mr. W. A. Leffler.
Gentlemen:
Last night W. C. Hutchison and I attended a citrus meeting in Lakeland. H. C. Case of Fort Myers presided at the meeting. The purpose was the consideration of recommendations by a committee on the Federal Marketing Agreement. Askew, Chairman of the Committee, mane the report that the committee recommended that we drop any further consideration of a Federal Marketing Agreement, and immediately take up the question with the Florida Citrus Commission, with a view of arranging to pro rate citrus shipments. There was considerable discussion of a sort of desultory nature. Everyone seemed to agree that a Federal Marketing Agreement was out of the question, but just how to approach the matter of control here seemed a little
difficult. A motion was finally made by Andrew Spada to the
effect that the Associated Growers favor pro-rating, and are willing to pro-rate amongst themselves, and a committee be appointed to invite the Florida Citrus exchange, American Fruit Growers, Gentile, and others to join in such an arrangement. The legal question should be watched carefully. It
will have to be in some organization under the Capper Volstead Act, which provides for grower control, otherwise we would be in trouble under the Sherman Anti-Trust Law. Judge Holland pointed out that phase of the situation, and stated that the American Fruit Growers had been indicted in California with some others account of a gentleman's agreement to reduce shipments of melons. No mention of price was made in connection with the melon movement, but Holland said that time and time again the courts had ruled that where shipments of supplies were restricted which affected prices that it was a violation of the anti-trust law. This is something that will have to be watched carefully in the celery situation in event we do not have a Federal Marketing Agreement. There should be some grower controlled organization that would provide the medium for the allotment or regula¬tion of shipments.
It might be that the AAA has something to do with prosecuting shippers who are working under some gentlemen's agreement, rather than surrendering all their rights and working under the AAA. This would be all the more reason why we
should watch carefully in the celery deal, in view of the fact that we have turned down the AAA machinery, if we substitute something ourselves.
CHASE & CO.
SANFORD, FLORIDA
Kirkland reported that he was going to Washington to confer with Doctor Campbell and Secretary Wallace on the matter of color-added. The meeting passed a resolution authorizing Kirkland to make such assurances to the Federal Government as in his judgments were necessary in order that the industry may
continue to use color-added. Kirkland explained the rather
strict color shades that were being required by the Commission. Each inspector is furnished with a metal plaque with colors, to which the fruit must conform. The idea was expressed that if Florida had to eliminate color-added it would reduce the average price of Florida oranges in the markets from 50 to 75 cents per box.
Mouser next took up the auction question. He explained at some length, in detail, in his usual manner how Mr. Schwalb, of the Di Giorgio auction, just happened to be in the state, and he called a meeting to consider:
(1) Requesting all New York receivers to pro-rate supplies. (2) To have Florida offerings sole in only two rooms.
(3) For the Florida shippers to request the unit of sale in New York City to be increases to 40, from the present unit of 20.
I told him 1 was heartily in accord with the first two propo-sitions, but the third, of increasing the unit of sale, should be omitted. Mouser was very insistent that the resolutions not be changed, and it rather looked as if he had been asked, or requested to present them in such a form. The only other shipper present who opposed the increased unit was Andrew Spada. He made some very pertinent statements, and asked whether -drown & Seccomb had been consulted. Several remarks were made, mostly by Mouser, which indicated that Schwalb had made some uncomplimentary re¬marks about Brown & Seccomb. It was even stated that drown & Seccomb had not lived up to their agreement, and that most ,of the buyers wanted the 40 unit plan, but that a few, 3 or 4%, of the buying power wanted the 20 unit and this 3 or 4% depressed the market, really should not be in business at all, and that by increasing the unit of sale the prices would be raised at least
10%, maybe more. I told Mr. Mouser that I could not follow
the reasoning: of his statements, that all commodities were being sole in smaller units, that it was the general trend of the times, and 1 could not understand how it would increase prices for the citrus industry to adopt the opposite policy. When a vote was taken I requested that I be recorded as not voting. Waverly did the same thing. I am not sure whether Spada did the same thing or not, but there were no opposing votes. Mouser was smooth
CHASE & CO.
SANFORD. FLORIDA
enough to include the two desirable features with the one to increase the unit of sale, and would not handle them separately.
I asked that we go on record, as favoring selling first, or before California, during the season when we are heaviest. Mouser replied that that would be to the disadvantage of Florida, as it would split the buying power, and it was much best to let California sell first when they had to compete with deciduous fruits, and after the California sale Florida would receive the full strength of the market. That reasoning also seemed a little unusual.
Yours very truly,
RC
(?) of Florida
Selling in 4 rooms as (?) for 10 hrs not (?) the (?) leave
(?) in different room or (?) Room 97.
Document Item Type Metadata
Original Format
3 page typewritten letter on Chase & Company letterhead
Collection
Citation
Chase, Randall, “Letter from Randall Chase to Sydney Chase, Joshua Chase, Sydney Chase, Jr., and William A. Leffler (November 9, 1935),” RICHES, accessed November 18, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/670.