The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-08-15
PRICE OF PICKING.
Butteville Hop Grower Says Growers Are Not
Likely to Pay Forty Cents.

Lihel W Eal EViS NNhi''
Editor Capital formal
In your Saturdays edition notice an
interview relative to the Hop situation
that contains so many errors, that hope
you will correct them when pointed out
TO you, You say, or rather the person
you interview says "that all hop
yards are looking fne," Any hop grow.
er will tell you that the vine appears
strong but the "hop berry is not form.
ing at all we'll, and the crop will in all
probability not be large one, but no
doubt Of very fine quality. Not one
grower in the Butteyille, Aurora, Cham
poeg, Hubbard or adjoining hop sections
is willing to pay more than 80 cents
per box this year. At that figuge the
pickers get more than the grower does,
The regular price for series of years
has not been 40 cents as your authority
claims and for his information l will give
the price for series Of years and the
average, 1894, 30c 1895, 35c, 1896, 25c,
1897, 35c 1898 35c, 1899, 40c. Average for
six years 33J6c.
The meeting held at Butteville was not
an Oregon Hop Growers association
meeting. II was meeting OF The Hop
Growers Fire Relief association, and re-
preventative Hop Growers were present
from practically every hop growing Sec
tion in this end Of the valley-Not one
grower present was willing to pay more
than 80 cents per box this season, and in
deed why should the grower pay more?
At 35 cents per box children can earn
81 TO 81 per day and adults from $l.50 to
$3.50. Harvest hands work harder and
longer hours for much less wages. Some
families earn more than in the hopfelds
during the shoi { season than they do the
balance Of the year. Last year the grow
ers paid 40 cents per box. Most Of them
sold their hops at from 3 TO 10 cents per
pound, losing heavily, at that time the
indication before picking pointed to
about 10 cents per pound for hops. The
mistake made in paying 30 much for
picking was therefore natural. This year
now dealers are offering TO contract
from 8 TO 10 cents per pound for a choice
hop, which means about 9 TO cents for
goo prime. Now with these prices be-
fore us il ii common business sense TO
pay 1t all out for picking, leaving us
nothing for our own work, money in
vested, etc2
The Hop Growers Of North Yamhill
are paying, so / am informed, zoe a
SOC per 100 pounds. Green hops weigh
about [S lbs per box this is about 331S
cents per box. siverton has set the
price for that locality at 33Isc per box,
Adyices from California are that pick
ing began in some yards Aug. l3 a 80 to
S5c per 100, about 35 cents per box. do
not pretend to speak for Independence,
Eugene, Dallas, etc, yet from advices
from some Of the prominent growers
they assure u1 that not over Soc will be
paid.
There are freaks among the hop
growers and such may see a profit ahead
and pay 40 cents for picking, But when
such prices are paid the grower has
either poor yard or he pays it with
certain conditions attached, that really
leave the picker less than Soc per box il
picked in the usual manner.
Now one word in regard TO the Employ.
ment Agents. We have had some ex-
perience with them. They bleed both
the grower and the picker. Usually
charging sum ranging from Sl.OO to
t5 per picker, and agreeing to place the
picker in the finest hop yard in the
state, a yard in which they can earn
800 per day easily, board and lodging
free. During one year there were
several thousand Of these dupes strand
ed on the river banks, waiting for the
hops TO grow. Discouraged and cursing
the bogus employment officers, these
people had TO find jobs as best they
could. The better way is for the family
who wishes to pick hops, TO write TO hop
growers in the locality they choose to go
say, about the Goth of August, il every
thing is satisfactory, they need give
themselves no more trouble until the
grower advises them by mail that his
hops will be ready to pick at a stated
time. He meets them at the nearest
landiig-hauls their belongings to and
aud from his yard, and treats them fair
ly in every way. A jolly good time il
usually had in the fields, 1t is not all
work by any means. To my knowledg,
the picker never existed who was moi
benefited by the outing among the hops
BurTRvILLE, HoP GROWER.