The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-06
THE HOP CONTRACTS.
Mr.. james Hart, OF Slaughter, Does Not
Think Ranohers Are Dishonest.

Mf' james hart, OF Slaughter, Does Not
Think Ranohers Are Dishonest.
SLAUGHTER, Dec. 5, 1891.
TO THE EDITOR: In your publication OF
Thursday hud an item Of news headed
Dishonest Hop Ranchers," the information
evidently hailing from lacoma, and dated the
I'd, said article setting forth that "some of the
hop raisers in the vicinity of Slaughter are
coming into bad repute among the buyers who
advance money on their crops" From the in
formation following 1t appears that Rancher
Hinckleman resides near Roy, which is in
Pierce county, and Is not in the vicinity of
Slaughter in any reasonable acceptance OF that
term
Why Horst Bros. or anybody else should be 40
anxious to rub 1t in for Slaughter know not;
to make a general accusation against nv fellow
hop raisers In this district such is set forth Is
unwarranted, uncalled for, and SANDER on
good men and true 1t 10 very, very strange that
Horst Bros. should this year be having trouble,
arbitrations, and litigation all along the line
II newspaper reports and our local knowledge Is
to be relied upon. Even California and Oregon
are included in the states besides our own fair
state OF Washington, and looking at the subject
from the hop growers side Ii seems to be the
nrmly grounded opinion that they are obiecting
almost 10 every delivery rendered them Had
the price OF hops this year as last year, it
would not have been probable that any trouble
would have arisen, but In consequences of the
price being normal they are Directing to most
everything.
end OF King county and many In our adjoining
Pierce county are well and intimately known,
and they are as honorable and straight
In their dealings as any body OF business men
In this or any other state, and last year when
they entered into their contracts at I5c and Ice,
although when delivery time came they were
worth Soc and 40c, like good men and true they
RrOa
TO compel them to accept a lower price than
that contracted for. although at only from l4c
TO l5c, and because the grower objects to the re-
duction they are harrassing the growers every
way possible.
In very many instances have they refused to
accept hops in the Green aud White river val.
leys, and then arbitrated upon them, with the
result that the award has gone against them.
How comes 1t that other buyers are not filing
up the dockets OF our courts by actions against
growersf There is Liiienthall Bros, repre-
sented by Aessrs. Pincus, of Seattle and Ia
coma, buyers second to none for quantity, and
who have been here for years, that have had
large quantities contracted, and yet it is indeed
seldom that there Is trouble with them. The
reason Is plain: they comply with their condi-
tons, and the farmer does his utmost TO comply
with his farmer cannot deliver what has
not been grown. When Horst Bros. were max
ing contracts "the louise" was here, and thou.
cQs
and If they knew their business
they knew there was not fair
chance to grow q strictly choice hop of mer.
charitable quality, and presume that the trouble
with "Rancher Hinckleman" was OF that kind
He rendered his hops to them; they refused
them. and suppose desired to have them con-
signed through them to New York, but because
they refused to accept them must the farmer be
prohibited from selling them to somebody else2
IL seems Horst Bros. think So These difficulties
are not all that the farmer has to contend with.
His cultivation and fight with vermin, the diff
Guilty OF getting the crop picked at the right
time, the unfavorabe weather and extreme diff
fculty OF drying, and then the delivery TO such
people as Horst Bros. for acceptance. These are
not tribes and the poor grower is per-
picked, worried and harrassed to an
extent that il intolerable. Why should
he not DO heardf Why should the man
who has spent his all in clearing out the land
and growing the crop not have his say as to the
quality, and Ii rejected by the buyer have q
chance aud fair chance to have said hops arbi-
trated uponf But such high-handed proceed
ings Is have seen here in tais town ought to be
stopped and will be stopped, and the fair,
honored name of the ranchers in this portion OF
the county (the pride of King and the envy of
PIERCE has no right to be drawn through the
mud by any firm simply because they refused
to accept some hops from a grower in Pierce
county and after such refusal he sold them to
somebody else for believe that was their OBJ
jet in buying.
If our residents are SO bad and act SO dis
honorably why go near them for business or
solicit their trader Leave the entire district
alone and also the reputation of its farmers.
JAMES HART.