The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-04-05
POinderter Fights Box Bill

or less indefinite and uncertain, how
many apples can be heaped up,
rounded up, on these various meas
ures.
Injury to Northwest.
Now, we are not objecting to the
fixing of a standard box for the
quality of our fruit. What we are
objecting to is the lowering of that
standard. We arc Directing to the
United States government giving the
great authority of it's action and its
wisdom in fixing the highest govern
mental grade for the quality of ap-
pies, and putting upon the market
an apple which is inferior to those
that we are selling, and compelling
us to compete, with our superior ap-
pies, upon an equal basis with them.
''It is positive injury and a posi-
tive loss to the people of the North
west to have a standard fixed as to
the quality of apples, allowing 10
per cent of defective apples in box.
do not think that this is very hon
est. I do not see how this bill is in
the interest of honesty. l do not
think it is honest for the United
States government to say to a man,
These are put out under the brand
that is fixed by the government as
first-class No. t. and yet in that
box one-tenth of them may be abso
lutely defective and absolutely use
less for the purpose for which they
are bought.
S'In packing apples in the North
west every apple is examined. In
many instances each apple is wrap
ped in tissue paper; they are packed
in layers, and we object to allowing
10 per cent of those apples to be
marketed as first class apples when
they are absolutely defective.
1--WE know this bill would not be
to our interest; it would be a griev-
GUS injury to the fruit growers of
the Northwest. It is not to the in
terest of the consumer. The only
interests that l can see which would
be served-and it corroborates the
deductions that were made by Con-
gresham Murphy of Missouri, as to
the purpose and motives which are
back of this bills the association
which is pushing this bill. The
only interests that I can see that
would be served by law legalizing
the marking of No. 1 apples with 10
per cent of them defective are the
jobbers and this association, because
it would enable them to put upon
the market as first class No. 1 fruit
a crop of apples, or shipment OF
apples, a great portion of which, one
tenth of which, would be defective,
leaving them at the same time with
out any provision whatever as to the
manner in which this law shall be
enforced.
Il only have another word to say
Now, the apple industry in the great
Northwest is very young. The grow
ers have gone there under all kinds
of difficulties when they first start
ed. This industry took land that
nobody supposed was good for any
thing, under hard conditions, some
of them undergoing the deprivations
Of pioneer life in new communities.
They began experimenting with the
apple-growing industry, and they de-
| veloped this industry. 1 will say, to
! their credit, that not only were they
able to survive the difficult condi-
lions under which they were work
ing, but they set standard for the
packing and marketing of apples
through all parts of the country. All
the evidence throughout the sountry
points to the fact that there is a
growing tendency to box apples IN
stead of barrel apples"