The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-08-23
BURST ADVISES ORGANIZATION
Hop Growers and Buyers Would be
Benefited by Such Action.

The following letter sent out by
M H. burst, the acknowledged auth
ority on hops on the Pacific coast,
will be and should be read with in
terest and profit by eery grower of
hops:
have had a good many answers
to my circular letter of July 18th,
to California hop growers. They were
all in favor of attempting some such
organization as outlined. The mat
ter is practically awaiting response
from the remainder of the hop grow
ers. It seems rather late to attempt
much before hop-picking, except to
keep the matter before the growers.
am sorry to see that there is a
feeling among dealers that such an
organization would be inimical to the
interests of dealers.
do not think such would be the
case. l think 1t would, in the long
run, benefit legitimate buyers who
want to do an honest business.
Growers want to sell to the deal
er who can and will give them the
highest price for their hops in the
open market The hop dealer buys
as cheaply as he can. and no one
blames him. But there are some
dealers who would hesitate at moth
ing in order to buy cheap.
Such unprincipalled dealers would
be hurt by an organization among
growers, because their statements
and actions would soon be guaged up
and all other growers advised of their
methods of doing business.
Some dealers think growers have
no right to anything except what the
dealers allow them. They fancy
hop growers were put on this earth
to be plucked and re-plucked, and
then plucked again by the hard
working dealer"
This kind of dealers would make
slaves of the growers If they could.
have just received letter from
Sonoma county hop grower, who
writes: "Mr. told me, If
growers did not stop trying to COM
bine (Organize) they (meaning the
large dealers) would force the price
down as low as it was in 1886
81"
The name mentioned was of the
manager Of one of the largest hop
concerns in the United States.
This Is something new. So the
dealers are beginning to threaten
growers? 1t seems to me this is
adding insult to injury.
would like to hear any hop deal
err in the United States or Europe, Ell
the, dictate to me what, as a hop
grower, l should or should not do.
So the large dealers are going to
punish growers il they organize! 1t
seems to me it is time the growers
took steps to find out whether they
owe allegiance to the hop dealers or
not.
AS for the particular man who
made the threat, would give his
name If 1t would do any good. At
present / am not fighting person,
but I shall send a copy of this to the
party, and suggest that he give some
explanation of his threats. Person
ally, 1 think it may soon become nee
essary for the growers to meet and
agree not to sell bale of hops to
any firm which attempts to coerce
growers, or which thinks 1t owns the
growers.
There are plenty of honorable hop
dealers who recognize that growers
have rights, the same as other Amer
leans, who can and will buy all our
hops. This particular party has let
the cat out of the bag. I wonder II
the large hop dealers really think
they own the California hop growers!
wonder how the California hop
growers like to be dictated to by
dealers. / think the sooner such hop
dealers are given to understand just
where they are at" the better it will
be for US hop growers.
M. H. BURST.