The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-02-14
TO PREVENT FALSE
LABELLING OF FRUIT

The passage of the Perkins bill, re
curing that all fruit offered for ship
ment shall bear the name and address
CT the grower and also Of the packer
has for its object the prevention o
fraud. While the provisions of th,
bill may entail additional labor on
growers and shippers In busy time,
yet it may serve to put stop to the
putting out of inferior fruit as fruit
grown In a locality with reputation be-
hind 1t. There will be less inferior
fruit marketed and sold as Hood Riv-
er grown, and each locality will have
to stand on it's own merits.
Hood River has q reputation tC
maintain that must be strictly guard.
ed. The new law is step In the
right direction, and one In which the
objects are to help localities which
are striving to make reputation, do
so without having to suffer from the
marketing of poorer grade falsely
labeled. Hood River needs this pro
lection, and 1t Is thought that the
new law will serve this object.
The Willamette valley and other 10.
calities which claim they can raise
"just as good" fruit az Hood River,
can now put out. their own brands--in
fact, will have to do 30 and can make
their own regulations In an open
market without help or hindrance. As
commercial proposition, there 10
really but one test OF merit, and that
is the net returns. 1t is but just to
all parties that fruit should be put
out honestly packed and that the la
bel on the package should state just
what that package contains. The buy.
or who Is willing to pay premium
to get Hood River fruit is lawfully
entitled to get fruit that was grown
in Hood River and not somewhere
else. If he prefers fruit grown In
some other locality, the law will pro-
tect him in his purchase.
Honestly earned regulations should
not be made to suffer by falsely Ia
belled goods, neither should other To-
calities which are striving to make
regulations for themselves be hindered
in their laudable undertaking.
Following is the text of the law:
Section /. Any person, firm, asso-
citation or corporation engaged In
growing, selling or packing green
fruits Of any kind within the state OF
Oregon, shall be required, upon pack
ing any such fruit for mar ket, wheth
er intended for sale within or without
the state Of Oregon, to stamp, mark
or label plainly on the outside OF ev-
cry box or package Of green fruit so
packed the name and postotf1ce ad.
dress of the person, firm, association
or corporation packing the same. Pro.
vided, further, that when the grower
of such fruit be other than the. packer
of the same, the name and postoff1oe
address OF such grower shall also
prominently appear upon such box or
package as the grower OF such fruit.
Section 2. It shall be unlawful for
any dealer, commission M rohant,
shipper or vendor, by means of any
false representations whatever, either
verbal, printed or written, to repre-
sent or pretend that sny fruits men,
toned In section l Of this act we're
raised or produced or packed by any
person or corporation, OF In any To-
cality other than by the person or
corporation, or In the locality where
the same we're In fact raised, produc.
ed or packed, as the case may be.
Section 3. II any dealer, commits.
sion merchant, shipper, vendor or
other person shall have in his posses
sion any of such fruits SO falsely
marked or labelled contrary to the
provisions of section l OF this act,
the possession by such dealer, com.
mission merchant, shipper, vendor or
other person, of any such fruits 80
falsely marked or labeled shall be pri-
ma faoie evidence that such dealer,
commission mercht MT, shipper, ven
dor or other person has so falsely
marked or labeled such fruits.
Section 4. Any person violating
any of the provisions Of this act shall
be deemed guilty Of misdemeanor
and, upon conviction thereof, shall
be punished by a fine of not less than
IS nor more than $500 or by imprison-
ment in the county Jail not less than
ten nor more than 100 days, OF by
Goth such fine and Imprisonment, at
the discretion of the court.