The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1901-10-24
WHO'S TO BLAME?
Tacoma People Want To Know Why They Cant
Get More Fruit and Get II Cheaper.

A recent issue of the Tacoma News con-
tains an interrogative article that should
be read by the Yakima people. The
article was written after the visitors
from that city had returned home from
an inspection of this valley. While it is
little late to talk about shipping mel
on, and peachess at the same time the
growers should know and find out the
cause that leads to their losing a great
deal of money on their crops. The arti-
Gle follows in full
cat retail on the streets of North Yaki-
ma watermelons are now selling at two
and sometimes three for 5 cents. A
commission man could probably 60 into
field not two miles from the station.
where the writer saw 900 melons rot
ting unpicked from the vines, and buy
them at cent each. In the Tacoma
grocery stores today the average price OF
an average melon is % cents. Peaches,
too, are rotting on the ground at North
Yakima. At Tacoma, 100 miles distance,
they sell at from 45 to IS cents per box
of an average weight of 20 pounds.
"Four or five hundred Tacoma excur-
sionists to the Yakima state fair could
scarcely have failed to make note of the
above conditions of the fruit market and
to have instituted comparisons. In a
drive not two miles from the North
Yakima station, the writer saw in one
field more than 1000 fine watermelons
unpicked and left to fertilize the soil.
On the streets of the city 5 cents would
buy two fine melons and the seller would
throw in an extra one for good luck.
Half mile from the field of unpicked
melons in an orchard several bushels
of peaches were seen rotting on the
ground. At Yakima the claim was
made that fruit could not be shipped be-
cause of the inability to secure cars. At
Northern Pacific headq quarters in Taco
ma the assertion is made that Gears are
always to be had for the shipment Of
perishable goods"
"Melons that are rotting on the ground
$50 miles from Tacoma should pass
through the hands of the commission
man and the retailer only and these two
and the railroad ought not to add 221s
cents to the cost of each melon bought
for less than 21s cents each.
Ellensburg is 127 miles east of Ia
coma and Kennewick 252 miles. From
all points between Kennewickhnd Ellens-
burg the Northern Pacific makes rate
of 25 cents hundred for carload lots of
10000 pounds or over of mixed vege-
tables and green fruit. For vegetables
the rate is 20 cents a hundred. In less
than carload lots the rate on fruit or
vegetables is 45 cents hundred. The
rate on watermelons is 1411a cents hun
dred pounds in carload lots from points
as far east as Prosser or as far west as
Ellensburg.
"The average weight of watermelon
is II pounds. In carload of $4,000
pounds 2,0S3 melons could be shipped.
These melons would cost in Yakima at
present prices not to exceed $50. Freight
added at carload rates, the 2,0S3 melons
averaging ~ pounds each could be laid
down in Tacoma for $SS.25 or approx
mately, Al cents piece.
peaches sell at from 45 to S5 cents a
box OF approximately 20 pounds in the
Tacoma market and they rot on the
ground where grown, not $50 miles dis
tant.
"No one knows what the commission
man pays the Yakima grower for mel
ons, but they sell them to the grocers
at the following prices taken verbatim
from recent invoices:
One dozen melons. .........$ $50
dozen melons. .................$ 900
% melons. ................. O.UU
w meiloHs. $lI.UU
IL melons. ..................$ 3.UO
Having gathered all this information
it appears that one watermelon grower
to consumer increases approximately in
value at present prices about as follows:
Grower receives. ...- 0215