The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-03
THEY FAIL TO UNITE.
Efforts to Organize a Hop
Growers Association.
A PLAN TO MAINTAIN PRICES
James Hart Makes an Address Urging
Growers to Combine-The Move.
ment Falls Through.

A few days ago James Hart, Of Christie
pher. gave to the local papers of White
and Puyallup river valleys a call for q
how growers meeting at Slaughter on
Saturday. October /. Pursuant to this call
number of growers assembled on Satur-
day afternoon. Among them were such
well-known hop producers as II. Skinner,
J. Boyd, Capt J. ]. Crow. John Keller. D..
Mullen, J. b. Patton, James Rakin, c. Du-
bois, George Gateley, J. Mogg, John Pat
ton, S. A Crisp, A. Cameron, William
Burns. George Hummel, NJ. Kurtz. 8.
Frazer. David Hart, William Elder, &. r.
Kinkaid. J. Dolan, John Wooding and
James Steele
Mr.. Hart called the meeting to order and
briefly stated its objects to be the organizes
ton of an association of hop growers for
the purpose of gathering and disseminat-
ing accurate information concerning the
yield and quality of hops at home and
abroad, the amount of hops in the hands
of brokers and brewers. the actual amount
needed for consumption during the cur
rent year. and to see if by uniting as one
man the present crop may not be held for
the better prices that the limited yield Of
1892 should bring.
Mr.. Hart paid his respects to Hon. Ezra
Meeker, reading from that gentleman's
published statements regarding the prob
able demand for hops, the prospective
yield from time to time, and to his late at
tack upon the quality of the product in
this region. He charged Mr.. Meeker with
creating, through the Posr-INTELLIGEScER
and other mediums, early in the spring, an
impression at the East and abroad that
Washington was to produce an extraor-
dinarily large crop of first-class hops. That
rs late as August % Mr.. Meeker had pub
lished to the world that the crop was
'looking splendid and that hops will av-
erage over ton to the acre" in his own
yards On the 18th of September Mr.. Nee
ker published that "more than one-half
the crop of this region is wholly lost and
it is doubtful if Washington produces over
10000 bales" and that he further spoke of
the poor quality, the trashy" nature of
the harvested hops. "Thus," said Mr..
Hact, "early in the season he sought to
create the impression abroad that We were
to have an enormous yield in order to
keep down prices; after it became appar-
ent that the yield was light, at about
which time Mr.. Meeker ceased to be q
became buyer, he dealt body blow to
the prod ucers by declaring that their crop
was trashy and sloppy and with but little
in the market" The speaker said that he
respected Mr.. Meeker as man. That as
an experimenter aad grower he had been
and still is a benefactor to the hop inter-
est of the state. He failed, however, to
see his consistency or reliability as q COM
bined grower and dealer.
The speaker then quoted from his own
correspondence with the officers Of East
ern hop growers organizations, especially
from the Kent region Of England. show
ing that the product Of the year is less
than usual, and that the prospect of high
prices was now better. He quoted also
from the Brewers' Journal to show that the
old stock are well nigh exhausted, and
from the New England Homestead to show
hop growing states.
Mr.. Hart then proceeded to show that
without organization the condition of
many growers is such as to make the
manipulation of prices by the dealers an
easy matter. The plan will be to pur-
chase on the ''hand to mouth" system.
The growers have borrowed money from
the dealers to use in harvesting the crop.
This money will soon fall due and the
/ growers will be forced to sell. In this way
the price will be kept down until others
will be worried into selling, and thus
about the entire crop will be gathered in
by the SPECTATORS. Then you will see
the prices boom. Growers must do some
thing for themselves. The crop is small,
and if low prices are realized they will be
badly left. He advised some scheme for
pooling the hops-forming a trust, the
same as are formed by men in other
pursuits, and give the hop dealers
dose of their own medicine. Farmers
have been denouncing trusts and COM
hines for years, but they go on just the
same, and they are good for those who are
in the ring. In self-defense growers of
hops should adopt the same measures. 1t
is right for them to protect their own in
terests.
In this way Mr.. Hart held his audience
for full hour and . quarter. He then
called for an expression from others. Few
had anything to say; they had come to
listen. The presiding officer then asked
those who favored an organization for the
purposes set forth to manifest that de-
sire by raising their hands. The vote was
largely in favor of the plan.
The audience was asked to name q man
TO conduct the business of an organiza-
ton. Some one moved Mr.. Hart. but
there was no second to the motion. No
one would venture another nomination,
and it became apparent that the people
were not ready to perfect an organization
They divided into small groups and
talked about the different phases of the
hop situation, about an association for
the purchase of supplies for next year,
ETC.. but none of the suggestions ma
terialized into definite action.
To say that those who had labored
earnestly TO bring about an associated
| effort among hop growers for their COM
mon good. were greatly disappointed, is to
put il mildly. If their expressions are an
indication it will be long time before
they will engage in another similar at
tempt.
MINES OF THE SKA0IT.
Some New Discoveries i'm the District