The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-07-21
APPLE MEN TO
GO IT ALONE

Wv 81 hAVtuAS
The Hood River Apple Growers union
will continue as q separate organization.
At meeting Of the stockholders of
the Apple Growers union Saturday
morning, by decisive vote the board
of directors were instructed not to anal.
gamate. 1t was the belief OF some of
the apple men that their union should
unite with the Hood River Fruit Grow
ers' union, and the meeting in the opera
house Saturday morning was for the
purpose Of discussing the proposition.
Originally the meeting was joint ses-
sion Of the two fruit unions. G. j.
Gessling, president of the board of di-
rectors OF the Hood River Fruit Grow
ers' union, called the meeting to order.
E. II. Shepard, secretary of the union,
acted as secretary Of the meeting and on
motion the temporary officers were
made permanent officers OF the meeting.
After few minutes discussion, the
joint meeting took recess until O'Clock.
The members OF the Apple Growers
union went into session and discussed
pro and con the consolidation OF the
apple union with the strawberry union,
or rather the Hood River Fruit Growers
union.
A. l. Mason, president OF the Apple
Growers union, as he took the chair,
went on to state that from business
stand point he was heartily in favor OF
amalgamation with the other union. He
believed that personalities in the matter
of a manager and members of board Of
directors should be laid aside and the
whole question be decided upon its mer-
it's.
G. r. Castner then arose and ex-
planned why he favored uniting the
nnions. He went on to speak Of the ne.
cessity Of an organization among farm
ers, and thought that by combining, the
fruit growers would gain in strength.
One man could be secured to look after
the shipping OF the fruit Mr.. Castner
then discussed the cost of buying stock
in the Fruit Growers union.
+. l.. Smith was called for. He said
while he was not directly interested in
an apple union at present, his young
orchard not being in bearing yet, he
he was strongly in favor of an organiza-
ton among the fruit growers. In fact,
he declared, the success of the fruit in
dustry in Hood River valley depends on
organization of the growers. As to
amalgamation of the two unions he was
personally opposed to the plan, but
whatever the majority Of the growers
thought best he was willing
to abide by. The apple industry
is but in its beginning Mr.. Smith said.
While Hood River will probably not
have over $1,000 boxes this year, it will
not be many years until the valley will
have half million bushels. The apple
industry is going to become the leading
business of the farmers; berries will be
secondary. If the unions unite one
would have to share the deficit of the
other should there be any. II is diff
cult for the farmers to hold together, he
knew. The temptations to break away
from the union were many. But were
it not for the union the growers would
be entirely at the mercy of the fruit buy.
ers. Organization of the growers must
be kept up.
President Mason declared the history
Of the commercial world showed tend
ency toward the concentration of efforts.
Decentralization of industries and labor
organizations have proved the success
OF the movement Two fruit unions
mean greater cost to the growers--it
means two warehouses, two managers,
two offices, salaries for managers and
clerks. From an economical stand point
he thus strongly urged consolidation of
the union. The fruit seasons he de-
clared overlapped. With small fruits and
summer apples the seasons run the one
into the other. From business stand
point amalgamation was the better pol
icy.
But if there is to be dssention, the
apple growers had better keep to them
selves. And II they cannot stand by
their own organization they had better
give up the union idea. To make it a
success the directors must be backed up
in their undertakings. II is a case Of
sink or swim. The union cannot exist
II some of the members use the organi-
zation as club to raise prices and then
make it possible for some of the mem.
bers to sell their fruit to outside prrties
who are anxious to see the union fail.
"By amalgamation the union will be
strengthened. Let us have one grand
organization of the fruit growers OF Hood
River valley. 1t would be less COM
plicated concern In the commercial
world"
j. II. Shoemaker favored the merger.
He considered it more economical. One
manager could be secured who could
keep in touch with the fruit markets
whole year through. II the farmer
has anything to sell, he can then bring
it to town and there will be somebody
to handle the marketing of the stuff.
Growers cannot keep in touch with the
markets. Growing the fruit takes all
his time. Mr.. Shoemaker was willing to
take stock in the strawberry union at
the price it was worth. He strongly
urged the the farmers to stand together
in whatever they undertook. "Why"
he said, Farmers are the worst set OF
fellows in the world to keep together.
There is nothing like them. They are
in one respect the darndest set in the
world and am one Of them"
b. X. Tucker declared he had attend
ed the first meeting in Hood River
called for the purpose Of agitating the
tpt VI " 1liib hlCCltuk Nhc
held, he said, in the Smith school hoYse
II years ago. He has attended every
growers meeting since then. The far
mers have learned lot since they first
organized in Hood River. Looking back
he could see the progress they had made
in that time. The mishaps have been
their own fault. The fact the Fruit
Growers union is not the sole shipping
concern in the valley is the fault OF the
farmers themselves. Had they stuck
together there would have been no ne
cessity for any ether organization. 1t is
the fault Of the farmers, he declared
with emphasis.
"Put mule in with drove of other
animals and it is impossible to drive
him, /" said the speaker, "but with the
farmer, you can neither drive nor lead
him. When the farmers organize, too
many Of them want the business con-