Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-12-01
ROGUE RIVER VALLEY
HOP GROWERS UNION
TIE Be Organized in Grants Pass
Every Grower Expected
to Attend.


8, at the Courier office at p. m.
There will be two matters up for con-
sideration, one the organization Of
hop growers union and the other the
pooling Of the crop for this year to
enable better price to be realized.
The meeting is called at the request
of all the leading growers of the
Valley and the assurance is given that
every hop grower in Rogue River
Valley will be present.
That the hop industry has come to
that condition that the old system
in which each grower was for himself
taking his chances with the market
and the dealers is no longer possible
and it is up to the growers TO unite for
cooperation and mutual benefit. or
be forced by the trusts and combines
to grow hops for just the bare cost of
production and mesRer living for the
grower and his family. The hop
men paid % per cent higher for their
burlap this season than last for no
cause other than that the Coast deal
ers had formed combine. Sulphur
Is in the hands of trust. Then to
make matters WORSE for the farmer,
who is the last one to even think of
cooperation and union, the hop deal
ers formed combine and crushed the
market to starvation prices. After
holding the market down all Fall to
the bare cost OF production with most
grew some predictions of continued
low prices the buyers have got in
nearly half Of the crop, which has
been sold by growers who were on
the verge of financial ruin. As was
to be expected the market is now
stiffening and sales can readily be
made at 10 to 12 cents. When all the
hops that can be had at that price
are secured then further raise will
be made high enough to get the bulk
Of the hop crop, then prices will be
jumped high to the loss of the farmer
and the brewer.
Not bale Of Rogue River hops has
been sold and il is expected that none
will be sold until after the meeting
has been held and the matter fully con-
sidered. The plan of sale mostly
favored is to form pool of all the
hops in the Valley and then invite
bids for the entire lot,. This is the
Inc ethod of sale that is adopted by the
wool growers of Eastern Oregon and
Washington and of the goat raisers of
the Willamette Valley for the sale OF
their wool and mohair. The Hood
River fruit growers sold their entire
apple crop this fall in pool. They
had big bidders from New York ard
three from Europe and the entire oroI
went to one firm at from 80 to SO. lC
per box as compared to GO cents tC
81. 90 that Josephine county grower.
get for their apples. The farmers Of
the Palouse Valley, Wash, pooled
their barley and bidder for q
brewery company took the lot at s pei
cent above the local Irice. With the
Rogue River hops sold in one lot bis
dealers could afford to bid up and 8
far better price could be had than tC
peddle them out in small lots
AS to the plan of union it is no
proposed to make an ironclad organi
zation of it, The membership fe'
will probably be about a dollar anC
no rigorous rules for buying supplie
nor for selling the crop win b,
adopted, the system TO be similar t,
that of the fruit growers unions, tina
have proven so successful Tn,
union will buy burlap, sulphur
spraying material and other supple
at Wholesale and sell to the member
ship at cost. And the securing anl
distribution of pickers will be don
by the union, which will conduct an in
for nation bureau for growers picker
and dryers. A strong feature of tn
union will be to keep the member
posted on the condition of the grow
ing hop crop OF the world, and of tn
yield and market conditions as far a
is possible to ascertain.
With union organized on righ
lines, and having officers, and boar
I of directors. who Will be true to tn
: interests of the members and nc
dominated by the influence of an
r dealer, it would do much to put TN
hop industry Of Rogue River Vale
on a profitable financial basis and b
the means of building up the industr
to one of the most important i
Southern Oregon. But if the preser
haphRzard system is confined it wi
bring financial ruin TO = majority {
the growers and practically end no
raising in this Valley,
MARRIED.
TS-OHLSEN-At the Christia