Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1905-07-21
WOOL GROWERS MEET
express Appreciation of Secretary
Fenton's Work by Re-EIecting
Him by Unanimous Vote.

Inc meeting of the wool growers O
Folk county, held in Browns hall il
Dallas last Saturday afternoon, wa,
largely attended, many of the LEADING
sheep men of the county beine
present. The meeting was called fol-
the purpose of hearing the report Of
secretary H. L. Fenton and of re-
cely1ng the extra cent per pounc
promised the growers by that officer
The 1905 pool was recently solo
to Heilbron & Company, of Port
land, for 25! cents, being purchased
for them by Secretary Fenton
BY an arrangement between the
members of the pool and Mr.. Fenton,
the latter was to receive a commission
OF Z cent per pound for handling the
wool, leaving the growers rs cents net
and free sacks. This arrangement
was entirely satisfactory to the
growers in attendance at the meeting,
as the price was nearly two cents
a pound higher than any offer that
had been made by buyers in the open
market up to that time. The growers
were highly pleased with the result of
the sale, as the price was higher
than for many years past and far
greater than most of them had ex-
pected to receive.
With the market price firmly estab-
lished by the sale of the pool, the
buyers found that they could buy no
more wool at the low figures they had
been Offering, and the price was ad-
vanced to 253 cents in a single day.
Some of the buyers even raised this
price, and a strong effort was made to
induce growers to desert the pool and
sell their wool in the open market.
These buyers, naturally unfriendly to
pool, argued to the growers that the
Association had done wrong in selling
the pool without advertising for bids
and that the growers were therefore
under no obligation to deliver. A
great majority of the members of the
pool refused to be influenced by this
argument but the offer of an extra
half-cent or cent had it's effect on a
few growers, and these latter held out
their wool and sold it on their own ac-
count A notable fact in this con-
nection is that some of the growers
who attended the meeting and were
loudest in their expressions of delight
at the high price received for the pool
were among the first to refuse to
deliver their wool after prices began
to advance. The greatest kick, how
ever, came from growers who had
failed to attend, although the meeting
was open to every member of the pool.
For some unaccountable reason,
Secretary Fenton was severely criti-
cized for the failure to advertise the
sale of the pool. Feeling that this
criticism was unjust, and having the
interest of the Association at heart,
Mr.. Fenton Immediately began work
in an endeavor to secure the same
price for the growers in the pool as
had been received by those on the out
side. He induced Heilbron & Com
pany to give the growers an addi-
tional cent in case the 10000 pounds
in the pool were delivered.
When Mr.. Fenton went to Portland
last week to settle with the firm, he
found that the pool had fallen short
nearly 10000 pounds on account ofthe
refusal of several heavy growers to
deliver. In order to fill the contract
it became necessary to buy about
$4,000 pounds to cover this shortage,
and this purchase at a higher price
brought the average above what the
Portland firm had sold for. For this
reason, they refused to allow only an
additional J cent, instead of one cent,
and Mr.. Fenton then decided to make
I'D this amount to the growers himself
by giving them his J cent commits
sion.
Mr.. Fenton explained the situation
fully at Saturdays meeting, stating
that while Heilbron & Company could
not allow him any commission above
26 cents on account of the refusal OF
certain growers to deliver, ne was
still ready to do as he had promised
and pay the extra cent to growers who
had delivered. He further stated that
in doing so he was giving away all OF
his commission.
The growers present were not Will
ing for Mr.. Fenton to stand this loss'
but we're strongly in favor OF giving
him the extra cent commission, as
thew had received 25 cents net and
were satisfied. Mr.. Fenton replied
that he had agreed to handle the pool
for l cent and that he was willing to
Give the growers the whole cent
pound in fuIfllment Of his promise
The growers would not listen to this
offer declaring that the Secretary was
entitled to pay for his work, and re-
fused to accept but J cent-the extra
amount allowed them by Heilbron &
Compauv The other Z cent com
mission was allowed him by a /
unanimous vote. Mr.. Fenton thanked
- .--o,,-ors for their GOODWILL and /