The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-04-04
Failure of the Northern Hartford Pack

Failure of the Northern Hartford Pack
ing Association.-The Belar Democrat says
"Ths association was incorporated February 10
1888, with w. Scott Whteford, Andrew Boyle
Geo. W. Andrews, Geo. W. Day, Samuel Davis
VIM. r Galbreath, VIM. N. Day, Andrew II
Scarborough, of Hartford, and w. J. McCurdy, Of
| York county, Pa, as incorporators. The capital
stock was limited to 100000, divided into 5000
| shares of 500 each.
"W. Scott Whiteford Andrew Boyle, VIM. ]
| McCurdy, Samuel Davis and Geo. w. Day were
| named as corporators for the first year. Subse-
quenty W. Scott Whiteford was made president,
Andrew Boyle treasurer and w. J. McCurdy Sec
rotary. These officers have served the corpora
ton ever since. No money was paid in on the
capital stock, and in lieu the members gave their
notes for thousand dollars each, payable to the
corporation. These notes were not discounted
but were kept by the treasurer basis Of credit
and as guarantee for the expense account. &
"The association packed during its two years
existence about 100000 cases of corn and toma-
toes. All the cans, cases and machinery were
bought by the association for the members and
all goods were delivered to and sold by the asso-
citation. The individuality of the member was
merged in the association, and the sales of goods
averaged as to price, and each member was to
have been paid for the goods he packed, less his
expense account.
"The association packed No. article of goods
and took great pans and spent much money in
advertising and placing samples of their corn and
tomatoes in all the large cities of the East and
West where sales were likely to be made. Hav
ing gone to this expense and having confidence
in the volume as well as the merit of their pack,
the managers were unwilling to sell at the pre-
vaing prices in the fall of 'S3 and S4, when their
goods were ready for market, and as a consequence
sold only such small lots as were necessary to pay
the most urgent current expenses. In the mean
time can and other notes matured and had to be
met. This made necessary storing and hypothe-
eating the goods, and the payment of interest,
renewal fees and warehouse charges, amounting
with other expenses it is said, to about fifty
thousand dollars. The goods could be held no
longer, and were finally sold in block few
weeks ago at less than it cost to pack them.
"With this statement of facts, which is believed
to be approximately correct, it needs figuring
to demonstrate the insolvency of the association,
nor argument to point out the causes that pro-
duced it, Nor is there any reason for rejecting
on the honor good intentions of the gentlemenA
who managed the association, as attempted by
some of our enterprising contemporaries. Il was
an effort (we worth attempting) of the packers,
by concerted action, to strengthen their individ-
ua credit and to protect themselves against the
Generalization that always followed crowding
the market at the close of the packing season, and
to establish a brand that could always command
more than the market price of ordinary canned
goods. Had the members been stronger 6nanci-
ally, and had the market improved, as they reason
ably expected, they would have established a
business that would have been of great value to
them but the members financially weak
and the market continued weaker, and they failed.
1t was more their misfortune than their fault.
There is, and there should be much sympathy for
the members who have Individually lost heavily
by the failure of the association, and for the far
mers who supplied them with unpaid-for fruit.
"Their condition, we are led to believe, is not
as bad Us reported, and if the members, instead
of wrangling and wasting by litigation what re.
mains of the wreck, will get together and by
ciliatory measures agree upon such settlement
as will be for their best interests, they may be
able in short time to retrieve the mistakes of
the past, and again plant and pack and sell corn
and tomatoes as independent citizens"