The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-05-25
PRICE CUTTING
HURTS GROWERS

iilSo-OubtluB by parties DuylQg
berries on the street played smash
last week with the berry market. Both
the Davidson Fruit Co. and the Fruit
Growers Union are confident the
price could have been maintained two
weeks longer at from SOC to 81. 90 above
what it is now, were it not for the in
reference of shippers buying on the
street and who are content to make
25c crate, whether the growers
throughout the valley lose dollar
crate on their berries or not.
Arrangements have been made by
the Union for marketing the berries
of its shippers so that the union feels
confident Of getting the best results
out of conditions, whatever they may
be, " says Mr.. Shepard. people are
not only losing money but doing
others harm when they sell or place
their berries with other parties, and
cause cut in the price
Last week the union sold to a
dealer in a small town at 90 and he
cancelled the order stating he could
get them at $500 and had them
ordered. This letter and a number of
others forced the union to meet the
situation or loose the customers. The
price could have been maintained at
81. 90 for every crate of berries on that
day, the 10th of May, because there
were great many more orders on file
that could be filled at S4.00.
1t is not known who is doing this
cutting, but it exists. The union had
one order of 100 crates cancelled at
$3.50 because someone quoted at 50. %.
Another order of % crates cancelled
at S3.5O because they had been quoted
at $500"
"Texas ships - cars of berries
day, followed by Mississippi and
Louisiana 800 cars per year each.
Next is Arkansas and Missouri, these
districts shipping 1900 to 5000 cars
per year. Colorado has 300 cars per
year. Besides this, Michigan raises
several hundred cars TO say nothing
of Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, all
growing berries. Twenty-Five thous-
and crates are grown at Spokane, 80, -
600 around Seattle in the ocean and
Lake Washington district. Berries
are also grown locally around Port
land, Salt Lake and Boise, all of
which interfere more or less and make
the managers lot not happy one.
''North Carolina shipped 224 cars
the first three days they started in
on car loads, and the fourth day l13
cars. SO you see that with 1900 to
5000 cars of berries from Arkansas
and Missouri going everywhere, in
Guiding the states of Dakota and even
as far as Butte and Helena, that we
are not the only people, and do not
have cinch like the Standard Oil
''We sometimes suffer, but are not
the only ones North Carolina this
year has already had 80 cars a day
spoil at the depot because they did
not get enough cars to move their
crop.
Pickers Are More Plentiful.
The question of pickers, which
came near being serious one last
week, had the weather turned suddenly
warm, is adjusting itself. The Union
realizing the scarcity of pickers, tele-
phoned daily ads in to the journal
and Telegram, and news was tele-
graphed to the Oregonian concerning
the scarcity of pickers.
Frank Chandler went to Portland
for three days to visit employment
offices, steamboat landings, ETC., to
secure pickers. The Union has dozens
of letters from parties desiring pick
ing and packing. Growers in need
can get these letters at the Union
office, answer direct and secure all
the pickers they want.
Last year the Union had letters
from hundreds of people who could
be secured and we're anxious to come,
and at the same time growers we're
calling for pickers on the street and
complaining about scarcity and would
not go to the trouble of replying to a
letter to arrange about coming and
assure them of place.
Finest Fruit Advertising He Ever Saw.
"That's the best piece of fruit ad-
vertising | ever say in my life, re-
marked Mark Levy, of Portland, to
Frank Chandler, when he was shown
the beautiful strawberry label recent
ly gotten up by Manager Shepard, of
the Hood River Fruit Growers
Union.
The lithograph label is a reproduc-
tion in actual size Of box of alter
Hood River strawberries packed in a
pound box, IL to the layer. Beside
the box appears lOur berries side by
side whicn extend tritle beyond five
inch marks on a rule. Very convinc-
ing argument as to the size of food
River Strawberries.