The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1913-04-11
ENDORSE new
ORGANIZATION
Yakima Valley Delegates Vote to
Affiliate with North Pacific
Fruit Distributors

A meeting of the delegates, two
each, from the several fruit growers
associations of the Yakima District
comprising the counties of Kittitas,
Yakima, Benton and Franklin was
held in North Yakima on April 3rd.
Besides from 40 delegates there was
present large representation of in
dividual fruit growers from the up
per valley.
Geo. E. C. Johnson of the lower
Naches district was chosen president
and U. G. Merrill of Emerald, Sec
retary. J. H. Robbins, chairman of
the executive committee and gen
eral manager elect of the North
Pacific Fruit Distributors, presented
the plan of the organization and its
proposed methods of work. AS has
been stated in these columns, it is to
be merely marketing organization,
one of the largest cooperative agen-
cies of it's kind in this country and
perhaps in the world. 1t proposes
to place its salaried representatives
in each large marketing center and
perfect its selling machine as to
cover the whole country as the
citrus growers organizations of CAL
ifornia now do.
1t will take over the selling agen-
cies of the various large fruit grow
ers' associations of the Northwest,
including all matters of transporta-
ton, storage in transit, claims for
damage, etc., etc., matters of great
moment to successful marketing but
very difficult and expensive to handle
by small associations.
The Fruit Distributors organiza-
tionwill be large enough and power
ful enough to make those with whom
it deals sit up and take notice when
necessary to secure justice and fair
dealing. It will handle fruit only
in car lots making a charge of $15
per car for it's service and will deal
directly at this end with the nine
sub-centrals only, and not with in
dividuals or purely local organiza-
tions.
Each sub central retains It's own
individuality and manages its own
affairs in its own way except in the
matter of grade and pack which
must be uniform throughout the
four states interested so far as mar
| keted through the Fruit Distributors.
They take the cars when they are
loaded and ready to leave the sta
ton and in due time return to the
sub-central the proceeds for distribu-
ton to the individual members,
leaving to the sub-central and the
various local district associations all
matters of detail otherwise as they
have managed them heretofore.
After Mr.. Robbins finished his
statement he was piled with ques-
tions for an hour until every ques-
ton in the mind of anyone was
answered as fully as he was able at
this time to answer them. OF course
many matters of detail have not yet
been wrought out and the act pro-
cedure is not yet determined upon.
Some members of the Yakima
County Horticultural Union were
present and were among the most
persistent questioners.
Finally resolution was presented
endorsing the North Pacific Fruit
Distributors which was adopted with
no dissenting vote. This was fol-
lowed by a resolution naming the
Yakima Valley Fruit Growers Asso-
citation as the sub-central for the
Yakima district. This also was
passed unanimously, though it de-
veloped later that the members of
the Horticultural Union did not
vote.
It seems to be true that the only
basis of CO operation that will satisfy
the Horticultural Union is that all
shall unite under the auspices of the
Northwestern Fruit Exchange.
The Kennewick delegates to this
meeting were J. ]. Rudkin and
Alexis c. Hart.