The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-01-26
MEET TO F RIM
SELLING UNION
MANY DISTRICTS ARE REPRESENTED
Scheme is to Devise Some Method of Co.
Operative Selling for Northwest
ern Fruit Growers.

G. H. Sproat, who attended the first
days session of the meeting, now in
progress at Portland, to devise some
method of cooperative selling for
northwestern fruit growers, returned
yesterday. Mr.. Sproat said that
nothing definite would be done at this
meeting. That the main idea was to
get some of the larger associations
interested in a thing of this kind.
Hood Rivers representatives took an
active interest in the discussion.
However, it was not in any official
way. The Oregonian makes the fol-
lowing report Of the first days session
of the meeting:
Representing an aggregate capital
of $50, 900, 900, invested in apple or
chards and an output of 10000 cars
yearly, having a value of from $6, ,0OO,-
600 to S., 900, 600, more than 100 apple
growers from Oregon, Washington and
Idaho gathered in the Y. M. c. A.
auditorium yesterday for the purpose
of forming National selling agency
of sufficient breadth and width to con
troll and dispose of the apples produced
in the three states mentioned.
"A committee of Is was appointed
at the close of the days work to pre-
pare a working plan, for the consider
alton of the convention tomorrow
morning.
Leading apple cuIturists from the
three states took part in the proceed
ings. Ex-Governor Miles G. Moore, of
Washington; Judge Fremont Wood, of
Boise, Idaho; Miles Cannon, of Weiser,
Idaho; +. c. Benson, of Pr0sser,
Wash, eX-president of the Washington
State Horticultural Society; c. f.
Whistler, of Medford, representing the
Rogue River Fruit and Produce Asso-
citation; H. c. Atwell, of Forest Grove,
Or, president of the Oregon State
Horticultural Society; j. N. Stone, of
Milton, Or. H. c. Richards, of North
Yakima, Wash. A. P. Bateham. of
Moser, Or, and c. H. Sproat, of Hood
River, Or, were among the more
active spirits of the enterprise.
''The only opposition to the plan pro-
posed came from the pessimistic tone
that prevailed through the talk Of Z.
II. Shepard, editor of Better Fruit,
published at Hood River. Although
the discussion lasted thrl ughout the
day and the speakers were numerous,
Mr.. Shepard could not see the light as
advanced by the more hopeful in the
plan of creating a central distributive
agency for the output. He maintained
that there was no way for an organ.
i2ation-at least he had heard of NJ
plan which would equalize the values
between the apples produced in the
various districts. He was certain that
there was no chance for over produc
ton. That he regarded as a bug -a-boo
created by the railroads ard the press
"All Government statistics" saiC
the speaker that have been able tC
get hold of, all the information that
have gathered and all of the inter yeiws
with oId-time nursery en- go to show
that over production is impossible, ir
- apples at least. There is no such thing
as over production in this country ir
any food product. There may be
faults of distribution in the sale enc
but to talk of over production for 6
continuous number of years that has
; never occurred and cannot occur in any
known food product.
"Regardless of Mr.. Shepard's views
the appegrowers continued in THEN
deliberations and appointed the follow
ing committee to draft plan: H. W
; Otis, of Wenatchee, Wash. G. H
j Sproat, of Hood River; II. G. Lamb
5 of Mi ton, Or. John Forbs, Of Port
: land; G. f. Whistler, of Medford, Or.
A. p. Bateham, of Mosier, Or, Mile,
= Cannon, of Weser, Idaho; G. L.
Smith, of Lewiston, Idaho; Will F.
! Ritz, of Walla Walla, Wash. w. M
l Nelson, of North Yakima, Wash.
+ George c. Eaton, of Granger, Wash.
u c. II. Clark, of Wenatchee, and G. II
T. Sprague, of Cashmere, Wash.
- "The convention was called to orde
}, by President Atwell, Of the Oregon
u State Horticultural Society. Frank W
!, Power, of Portland, was made secre
y tary. A committee on credentials wa
y selected and they made report in tn
! afternoon. The call Of the convention
: specified that the object of the meeting
) was to form cooperative sellini
Z agency and to provide some means 70
apple box legislation. Suggestion
u were rendered as to the best plan 0
Il procedure and discussion disclosed tn
fact that the appointment Of com
II mittee should be made to work out
~ plan.
n &C. f. Whistler took the lead in tn
n debate and contended that the diff
II cuIties of the undertaking were, first
y the method of establishing grades and
II second. what should be done wit
e regaru to the division of the receipt
> of the selling agency. Should ther
= be a "iack-pOt" created, as the speak
" er called it, in which all should b
~ given an equal share of the proceeds
% or should values be placed upon tn
!, II apples of each district and division {
le the receipts be placed on this basis
Y In this debate George Aggers, c
y White Salmon; A. F. Hellinwell, {
20 White Salmon; j. G, Tate, Of Hoo
10 River; c. b. Clark. Of Wenatchee
sr N. Stone, of Milton; W. X. Newell, {
IN Castor; c. L. Dick, of Salem, an
. others took part.