The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-04
THE FRUIT CANNERY.
What 1t Would Do and What
1t Would Cost Discussed.
THE PRODUCT READY At HAND.
Manager Van Doren, Of the Msrehsnts
and Manufactursrs' Exchanee. Re.
ports His Investigations.

The directors Of the Merchants ana Manu-.
facturers' Exchange held q short meeting res
esrday forenoon and received the report of
Manager Arthur C. Van Doren, who had been
instructed TO inquire into the feasibility Of -
taolishing . fruit and vegetable cannery In
Seattle. President Goldsmith was in the chair,
and the others present were Directors schrsm,
Hiil. Goodwin. Whedon. Folsom and Lilly. NJ
Van Doren's report in full 10 as follows:
In reference to the establishment in Seattle Of
= fruit and vegetable cannery, have learned
tne following. There are several questions to
First-Are there suiicient fruits and vege-
tables raised in the vicinity to supply q cannery,
ana can they be produced and sold at a price
satisfactory to the canneryf when Il Is KNOWN
That ten acres of peas, ten acres OF beans, three
acres OF raspoerries, i've acres OF strawberries,
prunes will supply 5o.0oo-ean factory, no one
VIII oou Of that the supply is At hand: A. to
peas aud beans, they can be plan Ted at any
time durtag the month OF May, the crop con-
tracted for in advance and the seed furnished
oy the cannery In order TO have q uniform quail.
NY. In ls9i the average price Of straw berries
IA tue seattle market was s. par
ls9l- " 50; 1892 &l2i. Raspberries. 1891. -
ls9-, VIA Currants 1871, product so small no
estimate is made: 1892, 81 Per crate. Goose
berries DO well, but there has been but little
market for them and few cultivated. 1t il esti.
mated that from 100 TO I5o tons of prunes and
~ 10 ID tons OF piums went 70 waste in 1892 for
the want OF dryer. As / understand 1t the
relative di ference in the two years was brought
out entirely by the increase Of the production,
ana Tor the present year 1t 10 anticipated that
especially in black berries, straw bsrries, rasp-
berries and prunes. As the soil and climate 10
particularly suitable for these fruits and veg.
etabies and a. they bear so abundanty the
grower can snord to sell at price that will
leave margin for the cannery.
Seconds there 4 market Tor the goods after
cannedr canvass OF the leading wholesale
grocery houses of Seattle shows that they
annually handle LOO cases OF cherries, 400 cases
OF blackberries, $50 cases OF straw berries, 80
cases of raspoerres. 20 cases curran,s, $50 cases
OF gooseoerries, SIS cases of prunes aud plums.
4.IOO cases beans AID 1900 Cases peaA, making q
total OF 30.2o0 cans which 10 more than six
times the output OF the proposed plant There
well as In Idaho aud Montana The same
1,bbers handle annually $4,000 pounds Of dried
prunes.
plant will require one manager or superinten-
dent thorough acquainted with the business
IN all its details, TO De employed by the year. and
two inexperienced men. employed permanently
at average wages during the canning season,
which lasts about ninety days. All other help,
for sorting fruit, hulling peas. stringng beans,
ETC., will consist OF boys or women and will be
employed by the hour. a. Is Customary In other
canneries. The price paid in Minnesota, Iowa
and other states tor such labor is 10 cents per
hour and any one acquainted with the economic
conditions here knows such help is abundant at
that price. The old cry of expensive labor
which has had great tendency to restrict man.
ufactor ies throughout the West does not apply
to fruit and vegetable caunerieA
Fourth-Ths cost OF . 60,0O0can plant and
working capital will be about $4,000 1t might
Be stated here that machinery Tor preparing the
such as huler for peas, 81 800; corn machinery,
exc. But very little of this 10 required for the
proposed plant In regard TO cans, am in.
formed that they can be furnished by q local
firm at figures corresponding very closely to
New York prices
Fiith-The necessity and benefits OF a can.
merry: No better testimonial OF this fact can be
produced than the paper exhibited to the board
OF directors OF the exchange few days ago. In
which forty farmers of Vashon island offer .
donation of $50 for the establishment and
maintenance for one year OF such an Institution
ia Seattle. The common cry OF the farmers 10
that there 10 no use of planting fruits and vsge-
table, because there 10 no market Tor them. 1t
has been remarked that no mandatory or en-
terprise could be established here that would
influence and benefit 50 many a cannery. 1t
would stim ulats the producers OF fruits and
vegetables and give them assurance that they
would get better prices and find Z market for all
they could raise, and for every dollars worth
grown and marketed in Seattle, Seattle mer-
chants would to some extent DO benefited
thereby.
There are csnnsries on the Pacific coast as
well as elsewhere that have not been successful,
but a. near AZ can learn those which have been
built and operated on business principles have
prospered.
As to the matter OF raising the necessary cap
ital, 1t can be said that already several parties
have volunteered their subscriptions to sseral
hundred dollars each.
The report was discussed at considerable
length. but fnsl action was postponed until
this evening.
communication was received from q. IL
Wilson, local weather observer, inviting the
members OF the exchange to visit his ONCE.
make such suggestions as would enable the
Off CO to he OF the most practical yRlua To the
public. The invitation was accepted.
Manager Van Doren announced that he could
be found at the rooms OF the exchange between
the hours of IL and IL a. IN. and aud D. N.