The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-04-05
ADDRESSES CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEE AGAINST PRO
POSED STANDARD SIZE-SLAP
AT THE NORTHWEST.
CONGRESSIONAL

Washington, April 5.-While the
Lafean apple box bill was before the
house committee on agriculture for
preliminary hearing, Representative
Poindexter appeared in opposition to
the measure, contending it would, il
enacted, work material injury to the
apple growers of Washington, Ore
gon, Idaho and Montana.
In a statement before the commit
tee Mr. Poindexter set forth reasons
why the bill was Objectionable to his
and neighboring states. In part, he
said:
81 think it is evident from the
hearing that has already been had
that the objection to this bill is based
very largely upon the proposition, not
that there should not be uniform
standard or that it is not desirable
to have a uniform standard, but to
the selection of the wrong standard
an unjust and unreasonable standard
so far as the size of the box is con-
cerned, if there is going to be stand
ard box at all.
Standard Too Low.
"The fixing of the standard of
quality of the apples is too low to be
branded as the highest government
standard. It has already been par
ticularly noted here that the size OF
the apple in the northwest-30 per
cent of them at least, which is GER
tainly a sufficient percentage of the
crop to be entitled to be put in a
class by itself-is at least an inch
more in diameter than the minimum
of the highest standard fixed in the
bill, and I think the committee can
readily see what an injury it would
be to the growers in all that section
of the country, who produce a crop
80 per cent of which is so much
larger than the standard in this bill,
if growers in other sections of the
country, who cannot compete with
the northwest in this respect, are
permitted to put their crops out as
first grade and first standard, leav-
ing to Washington, Oregon and Ida
no growers the task of persuading
purchasers and educating them up
to the proposition that they have an
apple, which, as is admitted here,
is so much superior to the No. !
apple under the provisions of this
bill
ct would naturally detract from
the value of their apple to create a
demand for a standard apple which
was far inferior to theirs, and which
would tend to bring down the super
ior grade and the superior value OF
this large percentage of their CROP
of No. 1 grade as fixed by this bill
Size of the Box.
Nov, so far as the size of the
box is concerned, I think that the
statement made by the gentleman
from Virginia here this morning
whom you will remember as having
been a state senator in Virginia, and
large apple grower there, is moi
correct. Suppose that was agreed
that it was desirable to fix stand
ard size for the box, and the com
mittee were engaged in determining
what that standard should be. Th'
action of the apple growers OF Vir
ginia would be one circumstance
which ought to throw some light up
on the subject They met in conven
ton and upon consideration of thu
whole matter the gentleman from
Virginia who addressed the commit
tee this morning told you that they
selected the Oregon box as the bes
thing that there was in existence
so far as the apple box is concerned
Now, along the same line, 1t ha!
been stated and not denied here tina
Canada, so far as their box is con
cerned, has adopted the northwes
special box-a box which is uset
commonly in the Northwest, called
the Special Northwest Box" This
box is used in Idaho, Oregon ant
Washington.
81 will give you the inside meas
urements of this special box. They
are 10 by II by 20. The inside meas.
urements of the ordinary box used
in the Northwest are 10 IL by II
IL by IS. I understand that the
assertion made that the box does not
contain a bushel is based upon the
proposition of a heaping peck, g
heaping half bushel, and a heapine
bushel measurement. That is more