Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-07-30

and Pays Out Handsome Sum FOl
Wages During Season: CaIifOrni,
Growers Control Market.
That the prune packing plant now
being built in this city by the J. K
Armsby company, of San Francisco
will be one of the largest and most
modern equipped on the Northern
Pacific coast was the statement made
by Scott Swetland, Northern repre-
sentative of the company who visited
this city Saturday in company with
Mr.. A. C. Peterson who will act as
manager of the Dallas office and
plant. The latter also added his en-
dorsement to the statement made by
Mr.. SHETLAND. Mr.. Peterson will
make Dallas his home and will have
ests here. He was formerly con-
nected with a Salem fruit packing
concern in which the Armsby people
were interested about three years
ago, hence is familiar with conditions
in this locality. He came here direct
from San Francisco.
Pleased With Prospects.
II am very. much pleased with the
prospects for business here now, and
in the future" said Mr.. Peterson to
The Observer yesterday. There is
already a very large acreage of
prunes in the territory contiguous to
Dallas, and added to this is the large
number of young orchards which will
be producing in a few years and
which will greatly increase the an
nual crop of Polk county. The Dali
las plant will be equipped with the
most modern machinery for the
handling of the crop. While the mat
ter has not been definitely decided,
it is probable that the prunes packed
here will bear a special label show
ing that they are the product of Polk
county and were packed in Dallas"
Value to the City.
That the plant will be of much
value to the city, aside from offering
a home market for the dried prunes
of this vicinity is evidenced by state
ments made by Manager Peterson.
He says that it costs the company
approximately SIS per ton to prepare
the prunes for shipment, and that
the greater part of this sum repre-
sents money paid for labor. When
the plant is in operation, which is
from the middle of Sep
tember to the latter part of'Novem-
ber of each year, about 40 hands are
required in the plant. So far as pos
sible the company always makes it
a point to employ local people for
this work, thus the money paid for
wages, which aggregates a respecta-
BILE sum, during the season, ultimate
ly finds its way into the pockets of
the local merchants and business
men.
Regarding the operation or addi- |
ton of a fruit cannery to their bus
mess here, Mr.. Peterson says that |
the company will undoubtedly attend |
to that feature if it is found that /
such an institution shall be necessary /
While the Armsby company does not |
tself operate canneries, it is heavily 1
interested in the second largest fruit /
company in California, and /
stands ready to establish the industry 4
lere.
California Regulates Prices.
California practically regulates
he price of prunes," said Manager /
Petersen. you can readily under
stand how this is possible when it .
s remembered that that state alone /
asst year produced more than 200,-
100, 600 pounds of prunes. OF course
hat was an exceptionally large crop,
fu H.,
llsO, and while it is not up to the
itandard in Oregon and Washington,
n fact in some sections is almost a
complete failure, growers should not
xpect very high prices. California.
Is l have stated, regulates the prune
market and the heavy crop in that
tate will have a tendency to weaken
prices to some extent The COM
lined production of prunes i'm Ore
ION and Washington last year
mounted to about $4,000. 600 pounds,
nut the acreage is increasing yearly
md it will be but a few years before
his section will be a close second
o California in this branch Of the
ruit industry
Market Increasing.
The market for prunes is grad
Ially extending and each year shows
greater demand for the fruit. The
Armsby company has selling offices
n Boston. New York. Chicago and
ther important Centers Of population
n the East where special represen-
atives Of the company. knowing the
and the demand Of the
rade. are able to meet them
nd the company greatly benefits
hereby. We ship large quantities
( prunes 10 Europe annually and
he demand for American grown
Italian prunes is increasing. 4
The Armsby company is pleased
nth Dallas and confident Of the
ity's future. We believe this is an
teal location for our business and
-e viii always be found boosting for I
he city and its people. We expect I
b prominently identify ourselves .
18th the commercial life Of Dallas
nd viii assist in every move for 1
ublic enterprise and Improvement /
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