The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1900-04-19
HOP GROWERS DISAGREE
The Pooling Provision the Principal
Bone of Contention.
GROWERS EXPRESS VIEWS
The Organization Practically Falls to Pieces
asan Adjournment Was Taken With
out Arrangement for Fur
Their Meetings.

Some few weeks ago a call was made
to hop growers to meet and organize in o
an association for mutual protection.
The meeting was well attended. consd :
cradle enthusiasm was evinced, com
mittees were appointed, bylaws adopted
and everything promised well on the
start. Twenty-seven growers signed the
articles of association, representing S44
acres. In round numbers there are two
thousand acres Of land in the county de-
voted to hops, but 1t ls estimated that
this season about two hundred acres will
either be powed under or not cultivated.
The low prices have had discouraging
tendency but some OF the growers figured
that through organization and the nool-
ing of crops the top prices would be re-
allied. Anson White was made temper
AIRY president of the association and W .
P. Sawyer secretary.
For time everything moved smoothly
and a call was made for meeting to be
held on April eth to perfect the organiza-
ton. The attendance was so slim that
an adjournment was taken to Saturday,
April IA. On that date about a dozen
growers met in the city hall and after
waiting considerable time for others to
appear finally organized for business.
There was an air of gloom prevailing
oyer the meeting that didn't promise
we'll. Expressions of OPTION were slow
in coming but finally, upon the call t
Mr.. White, considerable discussion en-
sued over the bylaws which had been
adopted. The pooling clause met the
greatest opposition and finally proved
the rock over which an adjournment
was taken without action and without
notice OF further meetings. Mr.. Nelson
was in favor of holding monthly meetings
and hoped by organization they could
get better freight rates and other bene-
fits. He was opposed to contracting as
it meant the cutting Of the threats of all
growers.
Wallace Wiley favored the pooling
provision but wanted it made stronger
and more binding than could be secured
through the mere signature of the grower
to the articles of incorporation. This
pooling clause, if strictly adhered to, he
claimed, would mean that the growers
instead Of walking the streets looking
for money with which to cultivate and
harvest their hops would result in their
being able to secure the necessary adj
vances through the association. Through
pooling, agents of the big English brew
cries and other responsible buyers would
come here to bid and there would be no
more dickering with 'scalpers." MIR.
Wiley asserted that if the pooling pro-
vision could not be made binding there
wo1ld be no use in meeting from week
to week, for as the season advanced the
time of the growers would be needed for
negotiations formoney.
Mr.. Walter Griffith said his views
were In line with those of Mr.. Wiley and
il the regulations were not iron-clad the
time of the growers could be better EN-
ployed than in useless discussion. He
maintained that if the hop growers OF
this county, this state and OF all the hop
producing states could not form an effec-
tive protective association no class of far
mers could.
Capt. Dunn believed in organization
as protective measure during the pick
ing season and for the securing of the
best shipping rates but disapproved of
the pooling provision, holding that each
grower should have the right to handle
his own product He expressed himself
as decidedly against the contract sy stem.
Mr.. Sawyer spoke very decidedly in
favor of association and wanted to know
why there was not benefit in organiza-
ton whether the prices were high or
low, for no matter what the ruling price
was. by association the highest price pre-
vailing would be more likely to be secured
than through the Individual growers
running helter-skelter after buyers.