The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-02-17
SHEPARD OUTLINES
BENEFITS OF UNION
Continued from Fifth Page,

nool our Issues. We must torn as
sociations, and every grower must
loin and support it Loyalty. Inc
reasuns seem So clear to me that 1t
hardly seems necessary to go into
further argument, and instead OF Civ
ing YOU further reasons OF what i
am advocating, ! will eontine myself
to few facts that are convincing.
The ideas advocated are practaiealiy
the same as the system OF business
adoEted and effective in the opera,
tion of large successful industries OF
our country, like the railway, the
Standard Oil, United States Steel
CO., the department store and the
big wholesale houses and factories.
Fruit growing end selling are practi-
cslly no different. A few facts are
more convincing than arguments,
therefore / will tell you about the
Hood River Apple Growers Union.
Previous to its existence our
growers sold fancy four tier Spitzen-
heIgs for So cents per box, and the
next wear after when the Apple
Growers Union was formed they re-
ceived 50 per box and since that time
we have never received less. The
first year | managed the Hood River
Apple Growers Union We obtained
the highest price for apples that
Hood River had ever received, and
the price obtained was higher each
consecutive year during my manage
ment. SO thoroughly do our people
from this object lesson. illustrated IN
dollars and cents, realize the import
anoe and benefit to them or our
union that the mem bership has in
creased from AZ to 800, and the
Hood River Apple Growers Union
controls from 80 to 50 per cent OF the
apples In our valley. am sorry to-
say that we have not got the remain
ing five or ten per cent. There are
reasons, most OF them are personal,
but 1t Ia the Hood River Apple
Growers Union that sets the price
for Hood River OF course the market
conditions are governed by the laws
of supply and demand and this price
being set protects the individual
shipper, insuring him as good price
and In some cases Cn account OF
the desire OF many dealers to have at
least a few of Hood River spples to
enables the independent shipper to
get from five to ten cents per box
more Many OF these independent
growers have frequently admitted to
me that without the union they
would not obtain the price they were
getting and that they would join the
union before they would allow 1T to
bust. am sorry any of our growers
stay out for personal reasons, because
| believe all or US appreciate what
the Hood River Apple Growers Union
has done for Hood River Valley,
what il is doing and what it will 10.
We have intelligent people and
believe the time not very tar distant
when every apple grower IN Hood
River lley will see the necessity
from personal point OF view IN
addition to his general interest in
the valley, OF joining our association,
shipping bis crop with us and giving
our association his loyal support.
want to give you another convincing
proof of the value of an association,
which Ia more significant aud more
convincing than anything | have said
to you this evening. In the year 1907
the apple buyers lost great deal OF
money. In 1903 1T was the general
opinion OF nearly every apple grower
In the northwest that the buyers In
the east at least had an understanding
OF some kind and it was the general
impression among growers that there
was movement ON foot to force the
growers on consignment basis do
not mean to say that there was an
agreement to this effect, and do
not intend to convey that every apple
buyer was in sympathy with this idea,
however, | will not dwell further
on these points, hut cell your etten,
tion to the facts OF that year, which
believe will convince you OF the value
and power OF union. Not wheel
was turned, not box was sold In the
Northwest by single individual,
private shipping firm OF association,
30 far as know, until Hood River
Apple Growers Union knocked a hole
In the stone wall and made q sale OF
the entire crop, the same az 1t has
done every year In Its existence, and
then the fun began, the great apple
industry OF the northwest was again