The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-09-27
GREAT northern DOES
NOT LIKE MARKET PLANS
Officials Have an Idea That Apple Market of the Wei
natchee Valley is in Control of Combine Gathering
Facts by Which the Apple Trust May Be Put Out Of
Business Here Next Year-Acquainted With Method

The Great Northern Railway com
pany is convinced that an attemp.
is being made TO corner the apple
crop of the Wenatchee valley. Tn
general office at ST. Paul has de
cided TO fight those who are manipu
lating the apple market. The pow
erful railway corporation has deter
mined to bust the apple corner"
For the last ten days the Dali
World has been in possession of in
formation that the company is quiet
~ gathering the names of all tn
growers of this valley. The purpos
involved was clouded with mucl
mystery. Persistent investigation
and comparison of facts that hav
leaked out prove conclusively tina
this list of apple growers will b
printed by the company and a cop
sent to every fruit commission an
produce firm in the United States
as well as into many foreign mar
kets.
The idea is TO put the outsid
world, the buyers of apples every
where, in touch with the grower d
rect. This is just what is needed
The secretary of the Wenatchee Com
mercial Club and many business me
have been constantly receiving in
quiries from eastern concerns. es
pecially large grocery houses, whole
sale and retail, requesting the name
of actual shippers. They say the
want to buy Wenatchee apples bu
are unable to do so without givin
too much "rake-off" to the commits
sion men.
Combine Sidetracks Buyers.
Railway officials have learned tn
methods of the eastern apple buy
ers who have so smoothly obtaineI
control of the Wenatchee output, q
least large portion of it. 1t is pos
lively known that in several IN
stances outside buyers have come t
this city for the purpose of purchas
ing large shipments. Before the
could get into touch with growers
one of the buyers located her
would go TO the stranger and tai
to him somewhat thus: DO 70
want to get some apples? Do yo
want to buy at the lowest possiDi
priceo Well then. you skidoo. Le
me buy for you. I'm next to a
these growers and can buy cheape0
than you can. I'll send you as man
cars as you want for less money :ha
you will have to pay. Meanwnii4
GO on about your business elsewherI
and save a lot of valuable time"
So they come and they go; an
they don't buy. 1t is announced tn
stranger intended to buy but wa
scared away by high prices.
OF which thlcws still greater fea}
into the heart of the grower.
These conditions enable the eas1
crn buyer on the ground to Du
either at low +. o. b. figures, whic
he seldom finds necessary, or on con
signment with a safe advance.
is said that the game then playeI
is to sell to other firms with who'd
q secret agreement is made. ThI
return made to the grower is on TN
basis of the price paid by this seconS
firm. Nothing is said about Sc
cret agreement by virtue of whic|
the fruit is sold to jobbers and al
leuual division of the profits give1
to the original buyer who ,elaimej
to the Wenatchee grower that
commission of ten cents per box q
of five per cent. was all the prof1
obtained. The return to the growe|
is always just enough, no more. Z
keep him from open revolt.
The question now is, can the az
ton of the railroad work any benz
| fit this year? 1t is said that littlI
| is expected in the way of immediat|
results, but that any corner of thu
apple market in the valley in TIL
future will be an impossibility.