The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-03-13
DEALERS PROPOSE
AMALGAMATION
SHIPPING CONCERNS MAY COMBINE
Growers Express Diversity of Opinion as
Plans Receive Publicity Mass
Meeting Next Wednesday.

Although market men, during the
past several months have been confer
ring with each other and talking OF
getting closer together in an effort to
cooperate in the selling of the local
until last Saturday afternon, when
about 30 citizens. composed Of the di-
rectors of the local marketing organic
ations, the Union, the Davidson Fruit
Co, the National Apple Co. and the
Hood River Apple 4 Storage Co.. met
at the rooms Of the Commercial club,
where resolution instructing the Of
tieers of the different organizations to
get together and devise the most feas-
ihle plans Of cooperation was adopted.
The almost unanimous sentiment of
the meeting was that the combination
should be an amalgamation of the four
orangizations, bringing them under one
set of directors. IL is proposed to or
agnize a new concern absolutely and
take over all Of the other marketing
organizations. AS A. |. Mason ex-
pressed it, 1--WE want to form new
company and kill off all of the other
marketing concerns in tbs valley. We
want to make il so that no other con-
Germ can do business. We want to
form one brand, and that brand must
be that of the company that is pro-
posed to be organized.
While those who have considered the
matter and favor the amalgamation
are still in the great majority, there is
growing feeling that the cooperation
should merely take the form of cen
tral selling agency for this district and
not that of an amalgamation of the
shipping concerns. Indeed stockhold-
ers of the different companies have de-
clared that if their directors seek to
enter such a combination they will en-
join them by process of law. However.
no suGh action can be taken by the di-
rectors. since the plan must meet with
the approval of the stockholders before
it can materialize.
While Hood River apple dealers are
probably more optimistic than the
market men of other districts, their
territory being more limited than that
of the Washington districts and their
varieties meeting with less competition
in the eastern markets, the heavy ap-
pie crop of excellent grade fruit in the
Atlantic coast and middle western ap-
pie producing sections has had disas-
trous result on the market this year as
compared with former years and the
market men assert that the combina-
tion plan, whatever course it may take,
is the only salvation for the districts
future.
Until the meeting Saturday, which
had no publicity, the growers have had
but little knowledge of the recent de-
liberations Of the managers and direc-
tors of the marketing institutions and
| 1t is not known just how the proposed
plans will be received by the mass of
growers.
| Some of the growers were opposed
to the proposed formation of an ANAL
gamation on the ground that they
would be violating the antitrust laws.
| However. others, who say they are
well versed with the clauses of the
trust regulations and the policy to be
pursued in their enforcement, declare
that no organization of farmers will
ever be attacked.
A mass meeting of the growers has
been called for next Wednesday at the
Heilbronner hall. The assembage is
called together by the officers of the
four large shipping organizations, the
Davidson Fruit Co., the Apple Grow
ers' Union, the National Apple Co. and
the Hood River Apple & Storage Co.
This meeting will no doubt cause the
big Heilbronner hall to be crowded to
its capacity.
A diversity of opinion is arising
among the growers, many of whom as
yet do not understand Just what the
plans of the proposed cooperation will
take. Some are strongly in favor of
the proposed amalgatmation, while
others are very strongly opposed to
| such moyemnt.