The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-03-20
GROWERS FAVOR
NEW PLAN
MASS MEETING ENDORSES ASSN
Union Stockholders Vote, Authorizing the
Board of Directors to Proceed With
Plans as Outlined in Report

nail was crowded with apple growers
here yesterday morning, when the
mass meeting, presided over by Chas.
Hall, was called to order to discuss the
formation Of amalgamating the ship
ping concerns of the valley. The first
speaker of the morning was Wilmer
Sieg, manager of the Union. who told
the growers of the need of such con-
cern for the successful marketing of
the fruit. Albert Sutton, secretary of
the Hood River Apple Growers Union,
read the report that the board of direc-
tors Of that concern had drawn up TO
submit to the mass meeting. The re-
port stated the need that was felt for
cooperation. According to its state
ments the amalgamation will be a CO.
alition of the Davidson Fruit Co. and
the Union. The latter will have six
representatives on the board of direct
ors and the former will have three
members of the board of nine direc-
tors. 1t will be different from the
Northwestern Fruit Exchange in that
II will be an organization of apple
growers and the profit that will be de-
rived will be for the purpose of main
tanning the organization, while the
Northwestern Exchange is for a profit
to the stockholders of the concern who
may not be growers. According to the
terms of the plan as outlined any
pooled interest of fruit growers must
take advantage of the amalgsmation
before May ], 1918, if they expect to
ship their fruit through it, Individual
growers may ship through it any time
they desire to enter il.
Mr.. Sutton then read the options
that had been drawn up by the Union
and the Davidson Fruit Co. That of
the Union, submitted to he stockholders
of this concern, proposessto lease the
properties of the concern for a period
Of ten years at fixed rates Of rental.
The annual rental that will be fixed on
the shipping concerns properties will
be on a percentage basis of the vaua-
tions. Twelve and a half percent will
be paid on real estate, fifteen per cent
on machinery and eight per cent on
water power. The aggregate sum of
the valuations of the Unions different
propeties is placed at $4,000. The
leasing valuation of the Davidson Fruit
Co. has been placed at SIS, 900, a rental
of l2A per cent to be paid on real es-
tate and l5 percent on machinery. II
is proposed to buy the property of the
National Apple Co. at a valuation OF
sos, 900. The report of the directors OF
| the Union recommends that the plan
be purchased instead Of leased. Ac
cording to the report the combining o
the concerns must be consumated by
April Is and a Is per cent tonnage O
the valleys apple crop be guaranteed
before. else the leases will expire. II
is Furthermore included in the options
that the leases of the two concerns
that of the Hood River Apple Growers
Union and the Davidson Fruit Co., may
be declared at an end by either the
leasing concerns or the leasing cooper
ative concern, whenever the co-operat
i've concern shall handle less than 81
per cent of the VALLEYS crop.
The Hood River Apple 4 Storage Co
will neither lease nor sell to the pro
posed selling association which, ac
cording to the report of the Union di.
rectors, will be called the Hood Rivel
Apple Growers Association, or Ex
change. ALBERT W. Peters, one of tn,
members of this company, stated tha
its members had built their plant moi
only for storage, but to eliminate tn,
necessity of constructing individua
packing plants on their places. ''WC
want to be able to continue to pack oul
fruit there" said Mr.. Peters, ''and WI
fear that if we lease to the association
it will run other apples through tht
plant and that we will not be able t
care for our own. We are not ready
now to say that we can sign up an(
ship our apples through the concern
We want to wait and see further tht
attitude of the growers and how tht
thing is going to terminate.
A number of speeches were made by
H. F. Davidson in explanation Of th'
proposed association. Mr.. Davidson
stated that the growers would realize
in GO days, when their returns for th
past seasons apples would begin t
come in, just how badly such concerl
as needed. He recalled his eastern triI
this winter and told the growers that I
condition existed there among tn,
markets that could not be anticipated
by anyone who had not been on trad
streets of the larger cities. He EN-.
phasized the fact that the proposed
association needed representative mel
on the board of directors. They mus
enter the concern with the avowet
purpose of carrying out the terms o
the cooperative movement, he stated
Mr.. Davidson thinks that the combina
tion movement will cut down heav,
overhead expenses. 81 feel safe il
saying that $4,000 per year can b.
saved by the amalgamation Of tn
warehouses. he said.
G. H. Sproat said "We need no
argue the necessity of cooperation
That is conceded fact. The ques
tions that we must consider are Viii
the warehouse properties be taken car,
of and will the association be under th
hands of the growers" Mr.. Sproa
stated that the talk had prevailed il
the valley to the effect that the organ
| izution might come under the hands o
an Individual or body Of individuals
He declared that such condition woul
be impossible and urged that all ge
rid of jealousies.
Mr. Sieg took the floor in the after
noon, when the growers convened sfte
lunch, and further explained his atti
tude. He stated that the association
might well handle the fruit from al
of the contiguous districts, Whit
Salmon, Mosier and Underwood Rep
resentative growers from other dist
rlcts were present at the meeting. Ac
cording to MIR. Sieg's statements
figuring the average crop of the dist
rict to be handled at 800, 600 boxes an
charging 10 cents per box for handling
the fruit, the sum of revenue derive
will be $780, per year. The aggre
gate of the sums to be paid for rentals
and in paying for the National Appl
Compahy's plant will reach S37, 900.
Thus sum of SAB, 900 according to hi
figures. will remain to carry on maket
ing, the paying of salaries of 50 esme
and officers and other expenses.