Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-06-29
GRANTS PASS FRUIT
GROWERS UNION FORMED
Starts Off With Encouraging
Prospects-Will Sell Fruit by
the Car Load

In response to the inv itation of the
Courier a number of the leading fruit
growers of Josephine county met at
the Courier office last Saturday after
noon and perfected the preliminary
organization of fruit growers union.
Fred D. Eisman was made chairman
and Charles Meserve secretary. A
committee, composed of ]. II. Robin
son, r. A. N. Rymers, and f. d. Els
man, was chosen to draft constitu-
tion and bylaws and rules and regula-
tions for picking, grading and pack
ing fruit. The secretary was author
lied to procure copies of the constitu-
tion and rules and regulations of the
Hood River and the Medford fruit
growers unions, they being recognized
as two of the most successful unions
on the Pacific Coast A committee
on membership, composed of r. A.
N. Rymers, Lee district; r. NJ. Rob
inson and Z. Erickson, Wilderville; !;
Z. N. Provolt, Provolt; s. M. Sans,
Woodville; Charles Meserve and j.
T. Morrison, Grants Pass, were ap-
pointed to solicit members. The ini-
tial fee for joining was placed at 81
but the regular membership fee when
the union is fully organized will be
fixed at either 81 90 or s.. The name
of the organization is to be the
Grants Pass Fruit Growers Union.
The Josephine County Fruit Growers
Union was also suggested as name,
but it was thought best to take the
name Grants Pass instead of Jose-
phine county. The reason for this is
that Grants Pass is far more widely
known than is Josephine county.
Very few maps have Josephine county
on them while every map, big and lit
tie, railroad and government, gives
Grants Pass a place on it. The fruit
boxes will all bear the unions label
and the name Grants Pass will ad-
vertise the location of the fruit dis
trict covered by the union much bet
ter than the name Josephine county.
The words Rogue River Valley could
not be used as that is the name of the
union at Medford. The union at
Ashland is known as the Ashland
Fruit Growers Union. AS Rogue
River fruit is getting an established
reputation in the leading markets of
the world the label ON each box ship
ped will state that it contains Rogue
River apples, pears peaches. grapes or
whatever it may be. A label will
read as follows as the case may be:
Grown by Packed by Newtown Apples
EismanBros No l2 TER, 12S to Box
Rogue River Apples
Grants Pass Fruit Growers Union
Grants Pass, Ore.
Shippers of Guaranteed First Glass
Fruit If this Box of Fruit is Not Up
to Standard Notify Secretary of Union.
1t will be the fixed purpose of the
Grants Pass Fruit Growers Union to
build and to maintain reputation
for having every box of fruit handled
by it to be strictly as represented by
the label. The picking, grading and
packing will be done in accordance
with rigid rules. The packing will
all be done by experts and ,heir boxes
will bear their number so that If there
is fault found with the contents the
Union will know who is to blame.
Packing crews will do the work at
the large orchards but for the small
orchards the fruit will be packed at
the Unions warehouse at the shipping
point The principal shipping point
will be Grants Pass, but fruit will
be shipped from Merlin, Woodville,
or wherever most convenient to the
grower.
The question of having a county
fruit tree inspector appointed for this
county. as the law permits, was dis.
cussed briefly at the meeting last
Saturday and it is the plan of the
Union to have the county court ap.
point an inspector for Josephine
county. Owners of diseased fruit trees
will then be compelled to spray them
or cut them down. The half dead fruit
trees in the neglected orchards of
this county and in the yards of the
towns are breeding places for count
less millions Of pests that migrate to
orchards OF farmers who are striving
to raise good fruit and thereby greatly
Increase the expense of keeping the
trees in healthy condition.
The next meeting of the Union will
be held this Saturday at the Courier
Office at 80 p. m. at which time the
constitution will be adopted and per.
manent officers elected. From the in.
terest that is being taken by the fruit
growers there will be large attend