The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-09-15

cannot undertake to answer such inquir-
les by mail. Further than this, persons
who are subscribers to The Ranch living
in the Pacific Northwest, can do their
Eastern friends a favor by having them
become subscribers to The Ranch and
readers of this department.
EDITOR OF THE RANCH.
All fruit growers on the Pacific
Coast who have walked up to the stu
alton are interested in the Porter bill
now pending in the Congress Of the
United States, in which it is proposed
to regulate the packing and shipping
of apples among the several states
and territories of this country and to
foreign countries. 1t is we'll to keep
IN mind the history of this bill and
it's present status. From the New
York Fruit Trade Journal and from
the Packer of Chicago we learn that
this bill had it's inception with the In
ternational Apple Shippers Associa-
ton during the autumn OF 1907. The
New York fruit growers objected to
certain parts of the bill and suggested
amendments which were accepted.
This is the present status of the bill.
The question naturally arises should
a bill be passed by our national Con-
gress regulating the apple business
in the entire country and only the
apple shippers represented in the
above named association and the
growers in one state be consulted?
To ask this question is to answer it.
A matter that concerns all the grow
ers and shippers in the country should
not be rushed through Congress till
81 thn fTu
heard from concerning it's merits. Bet
ter kill the bill before it becomes a
law than to allow such a condition to
obtain. From the reports l have be-
fore me l should judge that the Inter
national Apple Shippers Association
desires to hear from other sections
of the country besides the state OF
New York. Whether this desire grows
out of the purpose to be fair with all
sections or whether it was the real
ization of the fact that the bill could
not be passed unless the great fruit
growing sections of the Middle West
are consulted, | do not pretend to
say, but the latter seems to appear
on the face of the reports.
There is an organization in the Mid
die. West known as "The Apple Grow
ers' Congress" This Congress had it's
meeting for this year in st. Louis,
Mo-, in the early part of August. The
Chicago Packer gives report of this
meeting, and from this we learn that
the attitude of the Congress" toward
the Porter bill was one of unfriendli-
ness. l quote from the Packers re-
port as follows: &C. B. Shafer of
New York and H. Williamson of ILL
nois were present in the capacity of
a committee appointed at the recent
meeting of the International Apple
Shippers Association, at Niagara, rela-
tive to enlisting the aid Of the Con-
gress in securing the passage of a
bill pending in the United States Con-
gress, known as House Bill 21318. The
object of this bill is to establish
standard grading and packing OF ap-
pies. Mr.. Shafer read the bill in the
form in which it's passage is desired
and urged the cooperation of the Con-
gress in its passage at the next ses-
sion of the United States Congress. A
very animated discussion followed, in
which Messrs. Dunlap, G. H. William
son, c. H. Cup, R. Dalton and L. A.
Goodman joined. Mr.. Cup favored the
bill President Dunlap favored the
principle of the proposed legislation,
but opposed certain features of the
hill Mr. Goodman nhiootQd RI Coma