Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-08-18
SECRETARY NR,ATELY REPLIES
Editor Dispatek1News,

S1r:
In brief reply to the very extended
space which you. have given Mr.. Moo
nav of the Virginia Fruit Growers
Inc, in his answer to my letter to the
fruit men of Virginia aprising them
Of their rights in the matter of the
size of barrels in which to jack their
apples, l have only to say that
"Whately is right" and not that
Whately is wrong. My letter was
based solely on the law as referred
to in our Virginia Statutes, and on
unaSsailable facts as they have Oc-
Cured and come under my personal
knowledge, and not upon anything
which somebody else has had to
say or upon any policy which the Vir-
ginia Fruit Growers Inc. has seen
fit to adopt as it's standard.
There is no necessity for me to en-
ter into rambling discussion of this
subject with Mr.. Moomaw or the
Staunton Cooperage Company. My
letter was sent out and published
after a meeting of the Directors of
the Virginia State Horticultural So
ciety, and / am sure that they are
as conversant with the needs and
welfare of the fruit growers of Vir-
| ginia as in the author of this criti-
cism of me. .---..s--~e -
No sound reason has yet been
shown why Virginia growers should
use the 281a barrel. Mr.. Moomaw
does not give any sound reason why
his members, about whose welfare
he seems to be SO solicitous, should
unnecessarily give away their apples.
Every statement made by me is
bourne out by the law and by the
facts, and l have only told the grow
ers that thousands and thousands of
barrels of the 271a inch stave have
been shipped from Virginia into 9TH
err states without complaint. Abe
marie county shipped at least 100,-
900 barrels into other states last
year packed in 271k inch barrels,
and our local enoBerage company
here states that they shipped out
to apple buyers who bought for for
eign states markets about 10000
barrels. They are not making any
other barrel and have never made
any other barrel.
When the Virginia grower packs
his apples he is not presumed to
know whether Richmond will buy
them or Kalamazoo. Many of your
county apple growers send their ap-
pies to cold storage in Richmond, and
they are sold there; and why should
they want to pack their apples in an
unnecessarily large barrel.
If the members of Mr.. Moomaw's
organization have such a convincing
belief in the necessity of selling their
apples through his organization and
by his methods, thtere IL nothing to
keep them from packing their ap-
pies in whatever package they de-
sire as 7 first stated. But there are
thousands %ho are not members of
this organization and it was for their
benefit as well that / wrote inform
ing them of their rights, that after
knowing them they might maintain
| them.
| ] have merely told them their
rights in this matter. / made no rec
ommendation and endorsed no pack
ers association and condemened none
nor did endorse or condemn any
cooperage concern.
We fruit growers find and have al
ways found that buyers will pay us
as much for a barrel of our apples
packed in a 27K inch barrel as they
will pay us for barrel packed III a
28R inch barrel and we are Just
so many barrels ahead in every
| thousand of barrels.
Very truly yours,
Walter Whately,
Secretary Virginia Stale Hortisul
tural Society.