The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-01-19
5000 CARS OF
FRUIT IN 1912
Manager Robbins Predicts Yakima
Valley Association will Handle
Large Tonnage

About half of the membership OF
the Kennewick District Fruit
Growers Association was present at
,be annual meeting held last Fri
dsv afternoon at the Commercial
Club rooms.
The financial statement was read
and shows that the association is
entirely free from debt and has a
small cash surplus on hand. The
net returns paid Kennewick growers
during the past season were S14, 1888
and the total sales for all districts
approximated 100000.
General Manager J. H. Robbins
gave lengthy resume OF the first
years work and impressed his hear
ers with the obstacles which have
been successfully metand overcome
in putting the association on its feet.
Among the forces which he and his
associates have had to contend with
have been the opposition of the COM
mission houses and independent
shippers, the inefficiency and apathy
Of subordinate workers, and even
the unfriendly feeling of banks and
at least one railroad.
It has been strenuous and trying
fight. Many times" said Mr..
Robbins, I thought they had our
scalp, particularly during the early
months of the season. And day
after day, when the kicks were com
ing in on the phone at the rate of
about one every three minutes, l
have been ready to throw up my
hands and quit - However, in
spite of, and in view of what the
association has had to contend with,
its first years work is regarded as
a signal victory for the cooperative
selling idea, and Mr.. Robbins is
enthusiastic over the prospects for
the coming year. With the associa-
TONS credit firmly established, with
its marketing connections greatly
strengthened and its central office
system simplifed and perfected,
the manager is Convinced that moth
Ing but great loss in membership
stands between the association and
tremendous success.
Mr.. Robbins expects that the as
sociation sales for 1912, providing
there is full crop, will aggregate
around million dollars and there
will be between 5000 and 10000
cars shipped. In very few years
sthere will be 10000 to 10000 cars
sent out of the Yakima Valley year
~ so 1t behooves the association to
oulld upon its present foundation
and strengthen itself at every op.
portunity and in every possible way,
snat this immense volume of bust
ness may be taken care of in the
years to come in the most business
Ike and advantageous manner. The
speaker cited the case of the Califor-
MA Citrus Fruit Association, after
whose plans the Yakima assccia-
.iol Is modelled. Before the Cali
'ofnla association was organized the
marketing of their products was
'"frled on under most dlscouraging
.O''ultlons, " although at that time
''es were selling but 1000 cars
yearly. Conditions have steadilv
improved since their association has
y, el handling the selling end, un-
vi last year $4,000 cars were mar
ASi with most satisfactory returns
To- the growers.
The California association bas
' much success in the use of
pe'ienced salaried salesmen at the
tb. slOus Important selling points
ushout the country, and this
1, anie system will be used by the
local association as soon As the ton1
"'se Warrants.
Mr.. Robbins also advoca,o. tha
so;l 'neht OF an entomologist and
Apeft as soon as the association
S'rong enough to bear the ex-