The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-01-25
THE SALES PLAN
AWAKES INTEREST
MILLER AND GWIN EXPLAIN DETAILS
As Definite Information is Disseminated
Growers Look More FayOrably on
Proposed Combination.

more definite knowledge of the pro-
posed plans to combine selling unions
of the larger fruit growing sections of
the Northwest, the opposition that at
first prepvailed against il locally is
lessening. As growers come to under
stand the purposes of the "Rogue
River Plan. as proposed by X. S.
Miller manager of the Rogue River
Fruit 4 Produce Association, senti-
ment grows that il should be thorough
ly Investigated. Several growers.
among them Asa and Frank Cutler,
who have been in Portland, where
they investigated the ethods of the
Northwestern Fruit Exchange, the con-
trolling stock of which it is proposed
that the unions buy, have endorsed
the plan.
Because Of lack of comprehensive
knowledge of the plans, the details
never having been made public locally,
the local growers were suspicious and
averse toward taking any steps toward
investigating or entering the move
ment.
AT an informal meeting of business
men of the city Monday evening adj
dresses were delivered by MIR. Miller
and W. f. Gwin, the latter of Portland
and member of the Exchange selling
agency, explaining as near in detail
as possible the plans that would be put
INTO effect, if the combination mater
alized. MIR. miller spoke first to the
business men. He stated that the
recent reports to the effect that Wen.
atchee had turned deaf ear to the
plan were unfounded while a num-
Der of the men of that city are fight
ing the proposition. he said, 'lt does
not mean that growers of the district
have refused to give us hearing, as
has been reported. Indeed, a com
mitiee of the Cashmere Union stock
holders were in Portland Tuesday in
vestigating the Exchanges methods
and the feasibility of the plan just as
the committee from the local union did
last week.
Mr.. Gwin, who has been in the fruit
selling business for a number of years
and with whom the idea of the North
western Exchange originated after he
came to Oregon to enter the industry
of growing fruit, explained forcefully
the methods used by the exchange.
The fruit of each district according
TO his statements, is sold through the
Exchange on its own merits. The big
selling institution is affiliated as an
associated member with the American
Fruit Exchange, an organization with
numerous branch Offices which sells its
services to other selling associations 10
different parts of the country. Thus
the Portland concern is able to offer
the product of the unions for which it
handles fruit to great number of
markets With its own and the con
nections of the American Exchange,
the Northwestern Exchange has selling
agencies in towns of the United
States. The unions will be able to
place their prices on the apples, which
will in no way be pooled, but will sell
on their own merits. AS an example
of the bulletins that are issued
daily to the branch Offices in the
United States, Mr.. bwin read bullet
in offering two cars of apples from the
unions of two respective districts.
Each union had placed its valuation
The bulletins stated the prices at
which the Exchange would sell the
fruit. The branch Offices rendered
the fruit to their customers and prices
were made on the cars. AS offers
were received, the best was accepted
and the apples routed to the purchaser
THE Exchange will in no way be
able to make determinations as be-
tween districts, says Mr., Gwin,
But the determinations will be made
by the buyers. For instance. the Ex-
change in its bulletins offers in Boston
a carload of Hood River fruit and at
the same time a carload of fruit from
some district, which has no reputation
equal to Hood Rivers. 1t is natural
that the buyer will desire the Hood
River fruit. "
According to the plans proposed, the
directorate of the Exchange will be
by members of the unions
entering the combine, who will manage
the selling and distribution of the
fruit
A. Z. Bateham, who was present 1t
the Monday night meeting, announced
that the Mosier Union had endorsed the
plan. Mr.. Bateham was appointed by
that association to confer with other
sections. He and Mr.. Miller are en-
gagged here this week explaining the
matter to local growers. A full at
tendance of the stockholders is expect
ed Saturday, when the investigating
committee will report. Both Mr..
Miller and Mr.. Gwin will be present to
explain the methods proposed