The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-06-08
White Salmon Cut no Prices,

White Salmon, Wash, June 5.-Ed-
itor Glacier: In last weeks issue
there was an article headed, "Price
Cutting Hurts Growers. BY some
means the report got abroad that the
White Salmon Fruit Union was doing
the cutting.
AS secretary of the White Salmon
union most of the correspondence
passes through my hands, and | have
letters to show that this report il un-
true. will forfeit one hundred dol
lars If cannot produce the original
letters from which / quote.
On May l6 we were getting "a. 90 per
crate (. 0. b. Hood River, from Ana
conda, Mont. A letter dated the 18th
says: "We are quoted Hood River
berries at $3.50 I. o. b. Hood River
and viii allow you the same on the
9Th that we received tonight. " There
was a deliberate cutting under the
market price.
From letter from Kalispell, Mont.
dated May %, we quote:
"We have your letter Of May 2Otb
and note what you say in regard to
berries bringing $3.50 ber crate at
Hood River. You must be in error
on this, as we have quotations same
date from Hood River at $500 and
our competitors have been shipping
berries here at 1915. We have had
to bill all berries at $500 I. o. b.
your place. We had quotations Fri
day morning from one grocer at Hood
River at SO co." Another writes same
date, May 22: "Also in regard to
price, the two crates today we're billed
at 1926, while Hood River billed some
in on the same train at $500. If !
hold the trade for you, your prices
must be the same. j."
Another of same date from Ana
conda
"Berries from Hood River quoted
S30 90 today, are allowing you the
same" We also billed the berries to
this party at SO. so per crate
A letter from Grand Forks, b. c.,
of May "a, says:
"We wrote you on the 18th inst. rel
ative to rebate on two crates OF
Strawberries invoiced at S4.5 per
crate. We would like to hear from
you in regard to this matter before
shipping any more berries. We con
slider that we are entitled to rebate
of 81. 90 per crate. The cause of this
letter was party from Hood River
sending several firms berries on the
same day for $3.50.
Letter from Salt Lake City under
date of May "a says "We had all of
r,, horr;oa aoIl a. GE M k,,I boI =, ot
made deliveries. Martin, Rash 4
Hancock went on the market advising
the trade that they would have Hood
River berries, also some from private
parties, and would sell at A.00, and
that we we're holding up the trade.
Not knowing how many they would
receive, we were forced to meet these
prices to hold our trade and keep our
prestige. "
A telegram of May "a reads: "Mar-
tin cut market from five to four. Mar
ket now four fifty"
The White Salmon Fruit Union was
organized for the purpose of care
fully distributing the berries that the
market might be kept up. When the
Hood River berries began to come
on the market g. p. Ross personally
went to the Davidson Go. and to the
Hood River Fruit Growers union and
made the proposition that they keep
the market up by quoting together
each day. Mr.. Davidson said he was
willing to do this, but the manager of
the ii. r. +. G. U. said he had to see
the board of directors.
The White Salmon Fruit Union il
a mutual organization. Each mem
ber has the interest of the union at
heart, and the union exists for the
benefit of each shipper. 1t Is ther -
fore to the advantage of the union to
uphold the prices, for each shipper
personally receives the benefit. Our
board of directors are every shipper.
To voluntarily cut prices is to volun-
tarily reduce their incomes. 1t Is not
natural to do this. Our manager is
under the supervision of the board of
directors. All books, returns, ETC.,
are open at all times, not only to the
board of directors, but to each indi-
vidual shipper. There is absolutely
no room for crooked work. Besides
the net returns for each days ship
ment are averaged and divided pro
rata with each shipper according to
the number Of crates he has shipped,
so that not one, but all, must lose
by cutting of prices. Both from the
facts of the case and from natural
reasons 1t will be seen that whoever is
doing the cutting it is not the White
Salmon Fruit union.
Respectfully yours,
j. 9. Mclnnes, Sec.