The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-03-21
UNION STORAGE.

We print ia another column this
week extracts Of letter from C. H.
Sproat, manager Of the Apple Growers
Union. AS Mr.. Sproat says IN bis
communication to the stockholders OF
the organization. the question of stor.
age is the all important and vital one
now facing the Union.
The growers of the Valley have had
their minds occupied to a great extent
since the first of the year with the
consideration Of co operation and the
investigation Of the proposal made to
them by the Northwestern Exchange.
1he investigations are over in so far
as cooperation through partly profit
sharing agency is concerned and we
have found that we are not facing as
serious problems as we thought we
were. Those who would have had US
enter the inner realms Of the North
western Fruit Exchange would have
had us believe that We were facing
calamity and a crisis. But the Union
has been shown 10 have had selling
machinery in every way as excellent
as that Of the selling agency and
bringing in better returns
Rut the stockholders of the Apple
Growers Union want to enable the
Union to continue its efficiency. The
organization is acknowledged the lead
ing selling agency of its kind in the
Northwest. 1t is used as a pattern by
the country as a whole. But let's
don't throw bouquets at ourselves un-
less we are willing to use our en-
deavors to continue to increase its
strength and capacity to get results
The organization now has every facil-
ity but that Of adequate storage and
shipping Accommodations. 1t is abso-
lutely necessary for the Union, in
order to realize the reasonable results
that you as growers are going to ex
pect this next year for your banner
yield of apples, to have a greatly in
creased home storage. Have you
thought over the matter? If you have
not, get busy. Have you merely given
it trivial consideration, and have you
come to the conclusion that the storage
problem does not amount to anything2
II you are in this lukewarm position,
you have reasoned from faIacy, or
our investigations have not touched
bottom.
The apple crop this fall will be the
biggest the Valley has ever had. The
storage facilities were not adequate
year before Hast The Union had to
rush fruit to middle western and east
ern storage houses and the charge
made for the service ate no small holes |
in the profits for the grower. With |
adequate home storage the Union
would keep this money at home. |
Money kept at home is not only a ben
eft to yourselves, as stockholders of |
the Union, but it aids the finances and |
commerce of the community as a
whole
Serious results would follow car
shortage. With the great million box
crop of apples rolling in and no place
to store them and no way to ship them |
out, imagine the chagrin that would
feel, if a largely increased Union stor
age house were not here to receive the |
apples.
Even with the present facilities and
cars in plentiful numbers. the crop is
going to roll in so fast this fall that
with the present shipping facilities il
will be impossible to handle them
properly, carloads will go to pieces.
1t will be found that it will not only
be necessary to ship to distant storage
but to consignment dealers, apples will
go to pieces, we will hear of request
for rebates, and we will have to grant
them. Markets will be gluttcd. Cha
otic conditions will reign. The prices
we will receive will be unsatisfactory
in the extreme. The whole business
will have re-actionary effect. Grow.
ers will feel blue, such results will
breed pessimism, newcomers with such
facts staring them in the face will be
wary and the great industry of the
Hood River Valley will suffer.
All Of these facts are unpleasant to
be thought Of. If they were being
predicted, they would make us feel
blue already. but the intelligent or.
chardists of the Hood River Valley will
not let them come to pass. They will
apply the preventative, Waiting and
applying a remedy would make too
bitter an experience, and the Union
will have storage sufficient to handle
L..