Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-02-09
LETTER TO COURIER.

H. u. uaie VI 6Idnts L MSS Writes as
follows of the proposed change in
handling fruit:
To the Editor of The Courier:
Sir: There are really three dis
tinct and definite departments of the
fruit business, growing, handling
and selling. The associations form
ed for the purpose OF handling fruit
are a necessary link in the chain.
After the fruit is grown the next
step is to have 1t prepared in a right
way for market if satisfactory re-
suits are to be obtained in a way of
money returns. The next step, of
course, is the selling, which is also
highly specialized business. and
which can only operate to the best
advantage when it has fruit to sell
that is packed and shipped after the
most approved methods.
The Rogue River Fruit & Produce
association was organized with the
idea that 1t was to become selling
agency, as we'll as fruit handling
business for the Rogue River valley.
We did not believe in April 1910
that it would be so long in years be-
fore we had sufficient Quantity OF
fruit to enable us to establish an
adequate selling machine. When
organized and all the different ship
ping points in the valley were
brought together in one corpor-
alton, it was with the expressed idea
that it was for the purpose of selling
our fruit.
It is now apparent to most of the
growers that the cost of maintain
ing a large selling machine is pro-
hibitive; that If we have facilities
for distributing our fruit over the
world we must, for the present, at
least, unite with other sections In
the ownership of such machine
This makes necessary the systematic
and businesslike supervision and
handling of our fruit that it may
reach the consumer through the
channel of selling agency. In or
der to properly prepare this product
for the market there must be ade-
quate supervision of thousands OF
minute details connected with grades
packing, assembling and shipping as
we'll as collections, etc. When these
details are multiplied indefinitely
satisfactory results in grades, pack
ing ETC., are impossible; in Other
words, as the California orange
growers have found in their exper
ience-the busineslike way to handle
fruits is in small units where the i'm
portant details can be looked aftel
properly.
; The idea of district organization
/ is not new, as it has been thorough
: " worked out In California, also II
: the Yakima valley and Grand Rond'
= valley. and is being taken up ant
worked out in all the sections of thu
northwest where organization ha
begun. The principle involved Il
!. that of local self-government, loca
supervision of the many details b.
# each local unit of the district, and tn
: combining of the local units in tn
: district organization to supervise tn
o matter of grades, control of selling
e agency, buying all supplies neede'
# bv all. and other matters common t
+ all the units.
it The plan suggested for Rogu
IS River valley is that the Grants Pas
IS organization resume its business b
4 the Grants Pass stockholders of tn
is Rogue River Fruit & Produce assc
ID citation taking over the property /
!. Grants Pass and selling their stoe
o. in the association, which they no.
hold, to the association itself, an
h that Grants Pass, Medford and ASH
% land unite in forming district ol
"A panization to be known by som
70 name such as the Rogue River Dl'
is trict Exchange" Later, when otht
- shipping points have attained sun
ciept tonnage, then more local uni
= will be formed after this name
IN the meantime the parent orga'
y, ization, the Rogue River Fruit
" Produce association, will be used
" hold the valley together, and mall
tain the standard at points not y
~ ready for the formation OF a loci
=. unit.
II ia hoped by this business pis
~ handling to keep growers more
:. touch with their own local a1airs
- o,obia them TO pack and ship the