The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-04-20


shipment of apples. great portion
of which. one-tenth of which. would
be defective. leaving them at the same
time without any provision whatever
as to the manner in which this law
shall be enforced. That would neces-
sarlv leave it very largely in the
hands of the shippers themselves. Civ
| ing them all the leeway imaginable
to enforce the strictest Interpretation
of the law upon the apple growers
and it would, on the other hand, he
of no advantage to the consumer.
Mr. Cocks. How would it help the
shipper any more than the producer
to have that 10 per cent of defective
apples?
Shipper Commands Situation.
Mr.. PoindeXter. Simply because
the shipper, as has been stated hers
goes into the orchard: he goes there
and examines the fruit upon the trees.
he fixes the price very largely and
determines whether he will buy these
apples as first class or second class.
The producer is not in command of
the situation; the shipper is, to a
very large extent. lie packs them
himself. as stated by the gentleman
from Virginia. OF course, in some
communities special arrangements
have been made and special assocla-
tons, with intelligent officials. have
been formed by growers. and some
times they can. in a measure protect
themselves. But always, as in all the
various lines of business, the middle
man has the advantage. both III the
buying and in the selling.
Mr. Cocks. suppose the 10 per
cent were eliminated, then who would
suffer?
Mr. PoindeXter. Why, the growers
of defective apples, who want to have
these defective apples marketed as
first class.
Mr.. Cocks. Would they not suffer
and not the middleman in that case {?
can not understand, from your in
formation, how that 10 per cent is
going to benefit the middleman. They
are left on the tree; he does not have
to take them off the tree.
Mr.. PoindXter. He buys them as
second class?
Mr.. Cocks. They are second class,
are they not?
Mr.. Poindexter. Yes; and he sells
them as first class. under this law.
Mr.. Cocks. Why does it not help
the grower just the same?
Mr.. Poindexter. How is that?
Honest Grower Loses.
Mr. Cocks. Suppose we eliminate
the 10 per cent, would not lot of
apples be left absolutely unmarketed
on the trees?
Mr.. Poindexter l suppose there
would be.
Mr.. Cocks. There certainly would
be.
Mr.. Poindexter Certainly there
would be.
Mr.. Cocks. I though so, too. But
why would it not affect the producer?
Mr.. PoindeXter. 1t might affect a
producer who wanted to sell defective
apples at a high price and as first
class apples.
Mr.. Cocks. 7 understand. the whole
object of the bin is to prevent the
selling of defective apples.
Mr.. PoindeXter. That is the pur-
ported object of bill. I am arguing
that 1t permits the sale of 10 per cent
Of defective apples.
Mr.. Howell. 1t at least legalZes it.
Mr.. Poindexter. 1t legalizes it, and
Of course the shippers get the benefit
Of that 10 per cent margin.
Mr.. Cocks. Suppose the producer
sold these apples-picked them and
packed them, and sent them to mar
llet?
Mr.. Poindexter. Then he is in the
same position that the shipper is and
gets the same advantage. The con-
sumner suffers in that case, as he does
in all cases.
MI. w. II. Bahrenburg. How?
Chance for Fraud.
Mr.. PoindeXter. Simply by having
put on him a box of apples marked
NO. l, Government Brand" sup
posed to be perfect, with 10 per cent
defective apples. You can pack i'll
this box apples of d Lar ger size ana
apples of a smaller size and put them
out. You can have a top layer of
big apples and bottom layer of big
apples, so that upon examination, no
matter which way you turn the box,
you will find 3 u inch apple, with
poor ones in the middle. That is not
conducive to honesty 1t rather tends
to encourage deception, and is to the
disadvantage of the purchaser.
Mr. C. b. Shafer. 1t does not pre-
vent you from putting all good apples
in the box, does it?
Mr.. pondexter. 1t certainly does
not; but puts us in the position of
competing, when we do it, with infer
ior apples that have the government
brand as first class.
Mr.. c. B. Shafer. Would you peo-
pie in the northwest accept a law
guaranteeing every apple in the box
to be absolutely perfect?
Mr. Poindeter. l think we would. l
know a great many of them would.
Attitude of Growers.
Mr.. G. b. Shafer. L asked the ques-
ton. l want to know if you would
Mr.. PoindeXter. l can not speak
for all the growers in the northwest,
whether they would accept a law
\ udA dllLccluS every oIe " NC peiic't'
but | believe they would. / have
heard a large number of growers say
they would. They take the position
that when apples are put out as good
apples every one ought to be perfect.
They are examined, one by one. by
experts, and they are put into the box
in layers, and there is no reason why
every one should not be perfect. l
think the great majority of our
growers would accept a law of that
kind. | think it would be rather strin-