The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-02-17

doing business --on the +. o. b. plan.
Ii it had not been TOR theistreneth of
the Hood River Apple Growers Uni IN
am inclined to believe al the north
west apple growers might have fallen
back into shipping on consignment
basis, and all of you apple growers
know what that means. The season
1908 was a critical one indeed, tut
he Hood River Apple Growers Union
had the strength to meet the situa
tion. When this ssle was made the
ball wes started rolling and other
districts with good associations were
sold out and cleaned up before the
districts with out associations got
started, and want to call your at
tsntion also to the fact that during
the last tew years the prices obtained
In the different sections have depend.
ed largely on the strength OF their as.
sooiation. The districts with the
strongest unions which control the
greatest per cent OF the growers, are
the ones that have secured the best
prices. The Hood River Apple
Growers Union | believe is the best
organized, the best managed and the
strongest apple Uuion in existence
aud 1t controls a greater per cent OF
its growers than any other associa
tion in existence that know of, and
| might add that We have obtained
the highest prices for our apples OF
any section In the United States,
during the time we have been in
existence.
The prices during the last ten years
in Hood River ut which fancy four
tier Spiten bergs have heen sold may
be inter estiDg In 1900, Sl.75; in
1901, 81; In 1902, 50. %; in 1903. 81:
in 1904, $2.lO; in 1905, S2l21a to
81 90; in 1906, 1926 to So. ID; in
1907, s2.25 to 1927; in 1903, 81 %;
In 1909, 81. so to 80 So, all net t. o. b.
Hood River.
In California the orange industry
had become demoraliZed and growers
we're asking practically no profit, un-
til they formed the California Citrus
Association, which is the biggest or
ganization In the country, OF its kind,
and since that time the orange
growers have been prosperous, In
where they have DO association, | was
told last week that many OF the
growers had been unable to dispose of
their crop of raisins at profitable
figure and have been holding them
on storage for two or three seasons,
and last year conditions we're 30 bad
that many growers fed grapes to the
hogs.
Some time ago, u. Harold Powell,
connected with the horticultural
Bureau in the department of Agri
culture, spent two days at Hood
River. MIR. Powell 10 the man, whom
the United States Government at
the request of the orange growers sent
to California to invest igate and
the reasons for fruit arriv-
ing at It's point OF destination In a
condition and Tor the further
purpose OF investigating pre.cool.
ing, with view to seeing II 1t was
possible to improve methods so that
fruit could be laid down at destina
tion with less loss and 10 better
Consequently, it must
be apparent to you that MI. Powell 3
ideas, on account of bis opportunity,
experience and ability must he Valu
able. lie believes, IN which | can
concur, that Ia order for our State to
obtain the best prices it will be Deoes
sary for each district to form an as
sooia attic u, and he fur ther bel elieves that
the time is not very tar distant when
all associations In Oregon will be
Joined together with one direct
manager, who will control the sci ling
and distribution Mr.. Powell even
goes further than this and states that
eventually 1t IL quite proba BILE that
Oregon, Washington and Idaho will
all be united along these lines with
one sell ing and distributing mana. or,
with agents located In The principal
oenters of the east.
Such plan would eliminate self
competition, prevent the glutting
OF any markets and result In proper
distribution, which would mean that
each market would be properly sup.
plied IN accordance with the laws of
supply and demand and the best
prices Ieali2sd.
In the districts without Bn assooia-
tion growers are compelled to do one
Of two things. selling dependent OF
oonsign Think have made 1t oleaI
that a lot of growers selling indie
pendently cannot secure as good
prices az they can through an assocla-
tion and think all OF you are suih
oiently we'll posted to realize that ran
dom oonsignments frequently mean
poor prices and some times red Ink