The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-12-15
Edited by r. Walden

accustomed to loading cars with ap-
pies why they invariably place the
boxes on their sides in the car. They
will tell you that if the boxes are not
placed on their sides they will rock
and that the pressure of the boxes
above Will injure the apples. But If
the boxes were only level full there
would be no rocking or pressure on
the apples, as any one knows.
l raised apples in Iowa and at diff
ferent times l oHned three different
orchards and sold many hundreds of
bushels of apples measured to my GUS
toners in the half bushel measure.
We poured the apples into the half
bushel and heaped it by pouring on
what would not run off, 1t was not
the custom to put all the apples on
top of the measure that could be put
there with our hands. l have sold
hundreds of carloads of apples from
my orchards in Washington, all
packed in our standard box, during
the past eight years, and | unhes1tat-
ingly say that the average box from
my orchards in Washington contain
as many apples, SO far as contents
are concerned, as any two half BUSH
els did when l sold apples in Iowa.
The man who calls this statement in
question, if an honest man, does not
know how apples are packed on the
Pacific Slope.
Now let us suppose that the Porter
Bill, in it's present form, should be-
come a law, and we are compelled to
make an apple box containing 1854
cubic inches, without reckoning any
thing for pressing the top on our
boxes, and further without reckoning
anything for the bulge in our boxes,
then we would have from 1923 cubic
inches up to something near four hun
dred cubic inches in excess of the
1854 cubic inches, in order to meet
the demands of a law carried through
Congress by the Eastern apple grow
ers and handlers, because they do not
understand the conditions in the West,
or else because they do know, and do
this for spite Congress, knowing the
true conditions as here set forth, will
never pass such law. 1t thus ap-
pears that the duty now resting on
the apple growers on the Pacific Coast,
where the box is exclusively used and
very little used anywhere else, is to
see to it that our Congressman are
made acquainted with our objections
and the injury that will result to our
business if this Porter Bill becomes
law in it's present form.
This bill originating with the Inter
national Apple Shippers Association,
was submitted to some of the leading
in, h. Sfotn of
York, who made objections to some
of it's provisions. Some changes were
made to meet these objections, and
then the bill was introduced by Rep
resentative Porter. The growers in
no other state were consulted at this
stage. Later an effort was made to
get the National Apple Growers AS
ISOLATION, at it's annual meeting in ST.
Louis last August, to indorse the bill,
but this Endorsement was refused.
Some of the apple growers in the
Eastern States, including the State
of New York, have never approved
of the bill The Pacific Coast has
never been heard on the merits of this
bill. Whatever may be done, one
thing is certain, no such bill should
ever be passed till oil apple growing
sections are heard from and the bill
is so amended as to do justice to all.
That the provisions of this bill as it
now stands will work great injus-
tice to the apple growers where the
box is used, does not admit OF dis
cussion. Then let the apple growers
of the great Northwest urge their
Congressman to oppose the bill till 1t
Is so amended as to do justice to all
sections of our common country If
the apple shippers of the Northwest
join the apple shippers of the East in
forcing this bill, with it's unjust pro-
visions through Congress, the sooner
we know this the better, that we may
govern ourselves accordingly. No ap-