The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-12-29
FRUIT men ASK
FOR BETTER LAWS
Want County Inspectors - Wish to
Prohibit Sale of WOrmy Apples.

The mass meeting Of fruit growers at
the opera house Tuesday morning APP
pointed committee of three to confer
with Representative A. A. Jayne in
framing proposed legislation for the pro-
lection OF the fruit interests of the state;
passed unanimously number of reso-
lutions giving an idea as to the sort of
fruit legislation the farmers Of Hood
River valley desire; listened to some
excellent discussions on needed fruit
laws; took a collection to pay hall rent
and adjourned sine die.
A. I. Mason, president OF the Hood
River Apple Growers union called the
assembled apple men together, and on
motion J. W. Morton was made chair
man Of the meeting, with the Glacier
man secretary.
+. l.. Smith, president of the state
board OF horticulture, read that portion
Of his bienial report prepared for the
legislature, in which he recommended a
law providing for the appointment Of
county fruit inspectors, and told Of the
working of similar laws in other states.
The remarks of Mr.. Smith have been
given space in another column.
In closing Mr.. Smith pointedly re-
marked that while the legislators of
Oregon have been very parsimonious in
giving financial aid to the fruit industry
for the purpose of enforcing inspection
laws, money by the thousands of dol
lars has been paid out for scalp bounties
and encouragement to the growth of
jack rabbits.
Mr.. Jayne assured the fruit growers
of his interest in the encouragement Of
the fruit industry. Mr.. Jayne is anx-
ious to work for legislation that will
benefit the fruit grower, and believes
the legislature should appropriate sutfi-
cient money for enforcing the laws rela-
tive to fruit inspection, but he states
that the people OF Hood River must ex-
pect to find opposition from non-fruit
raising sections OF the state to any law
looking to the exclusion Of wOrmy APP
pies from the markets.
Mr.. Smith reiterated his remark that
it will be impossible to secure anything
more than the customary $4,000 from
the legislature that has been granted
heretofore for the state board OF horti-
culture, therefore the relief must come
from the counties. The state of Wash
ington has expended as much as $4,000
through its counties in the destruction
of fruit pests and for the inspection of
fruit and frnit trees. The work of COM
missioner Carson in Jackson county,
Oregon, in eradcating anthracnose from
a single orchard is worth more than the
whole states appropriation.
Mr.. Smith offered the following reso-
luton and on motion it was adopted:
Resolved, That inasmuch as the ap-
preparations of the state for the sup.
port of our state board of horticulture
are wholly inadequate to protect our
fruit interests by the enforcement of
horticultural laws and regulations made
in conformity with them, we therefore
most earnestly recommend the appoint
ment OF county horticultural inspectors
as outlined by our state commissioner
at large in his eighth biennial report to
the legislature"
Mr.. Mason expressed himself as a
firm believer in the efficacy of the coun.
ty inspector system from the fact that
such methods have worked satisfactorily
in other states. At the last meeting OF
the Northwest Fruit Growers associa-
tion in Portland last winter Mr.. Mason
met several of the county inspectors
from the state of Washington, and it
was easy to see that they were compe-
tent fruit men in every respect. The |
iruit men OF Washington were contin-
nally poking fun at the men from Ore
al i 4,
hind the times in the matter of fruit
At the meeting OF the Nurserymen's
in Hood River last summer
a distinct ashington spirit was
by the nurserymen who have
at times come in contact with the rigid
system enforced in the state
to the north of us.
On motion of A. c. Staten, Chairman
Morton appointed L. L. Smith, pres
ident of the state board of horticulture,
A. |. Mason, president of the Hood
River Apple Growers union, and G. R. !
Castner,-a "a member OF the board of di-
rectors of the same organization, to con-
fer with Representative Jayne in fran.
ing bill for the protection of the fruit
interests OF sthe state.
The question was then raised, "What
good would it do Portland to have a
county inspector2h and "Would the
Portland dealers want the law enforced?"
Smith and Mason replied that under
the present system Gull apples are
dumped into the Portland markets from
the state of Washington by the carload |
The dealers have today more such fruit
on their hands than they can get rid of, |
and they would be glad of an opportu.
nifty to keep such trash from their
houses. The law would be such that
the dealers or any one else could not
get around its enforcement. II Multi !
nomah county refused to appoint fruit
some adjacent county could |
have the work done and charged to |
Multnomah county,
Considerable time was taken IN in |