The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-02-29
ROGUE RIVER
PLAN DEFEATED
UNANIMOUS ADOPTION OF REPORT
NOrthweStem's Selling Agents Found Not
to be Exclusive Union Prices
Exceed Fx.hanIt'S.

When the mass meeting of apple
growers was called to order Tuesday
afternoon, a. !. Mason addressed the
audience. stating that his name had
been used twice 10 the communication
issued to the local growers and which.
arouslng a great deal of feeling, did
much t0 swell the crowd present in
Heilhronuer's hall However, said
Mr. Mason, 81 was in the offices Of
the Exchange on the afternoon before
The letter was mailed not for the pur-
pose of looking over evidence, but to
confer with a member of the organiZa-
tion, who is a fellow committeeman
with me, on the Sulzer Apple Box bill.
Still | believe that we should set here
as a jury this afternoon and listen to
evidence from both sides, and ! told
the officials Of the exchange that
would do all in my power to secure a
hearing for them.
The letter of Mr.. Gwin to the grow
ers is given below:
Portland. Oregon, February 2l, 1912
To the Apple Growers of Hood River
Valley Before passing judgement too
hastily, or too finally, in the matter of
the recent conference" held at Port
land, perhaps you will consult with Mr..
A. |. Mason, who spent yesterdaI
afternoon in this office, examining
some original files of correspondence,
and other original documents, which
furnish ineontrovertibe proof that
there re-at least two sides to the
question.
TO prefer charges aud at the same
time to muzzle the jury with a pledge
of secrecy; to deny the accused the
inalienable right of self-defense, and
to condemn him unheard, is both un-
American and unicyiized
If the alleged disclosures can be
proven, then the writer of this letter
will stand convicted of falsehood. The
writer gives WY to no man in Jealousy
of his personal integrity. If the dis
closure es' cannot be proven, then a
great iajustice has been do e.
The writer prefers to believe that
there is sufficient red-blooded Ameri-
cluism in the Hood River Valley to
s.cp at nothing short of the whole
truth in this matter, and to demand
| theFproofs to be submitted to public
tribunal. .Ecomposed. substa1tially,of the
same men who wer, .lresent at the mass
meeting held in Hood River on January
twenty seventh. And that this Ex-
change be allowed to present thereto
Is evidence in rebuttal.
This Exchange knows that it is
cean knows that its spokesmen have
stated the truth in all things; that il
has played the game with its cards all
on the table. II asks only treatment
in kind; for simple justice and an eX-
position of the facts; all the facts.
Other than this, the Exchange has
10 favors to ask Of the growers In the
Hood River Valley
That you may understand the atti
tude of the Committeeman from Rogue
River, Cashmere and Mosler after
hearing the alleged disclosures, " suf-
fee to say that these gentlemen spent
the day following the conference in the
Offices of the Exchange, where they
we're shown the same original evidence
submitted Yesterday to Mr.. Mason, al
they were so completely satisfied that
they Immediately turned their atten-
tion to the framing of contract be-
tween the Exchange and their r, spec
tive Associations, looking to the mar
keting of the coming apple crop of
| 1912.
At a full meeting of the Board of
Directors of the Rogue River Fruit
and Produce Association, held in Med
ford yesterday, the report of its com
mite was heard, and the Board voted
unanimously to contract with this
Exchange for the marketing of their
entire crops Of pears and apples, and
not stopping at this, to purchase a
block of stock in this Exchange.
Yours very truly
w. f Gwin, Treasurer and General
Manager,
Northwestern Fruit Exchange.