The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1913-01-17
FRUIT GROWERS
IN annual MEET
Hear Managers Report and Elect
O6cers-Discuss Strawberry
Situation

The trustees elected for the year
1913 are as follows: D. J. Bein-
hart, E. O. Keene, Joseph Hess, J.
J. Rudkin and A. G. Hart. The
secretary reported the more import
ant work of the trustees for the year
1912, and the manager, J. B. o.
niger, gave a financial statement.
This was necessarily incomplete be-
cause the final settlement with the
central office has not yet been made.
1t is probable, however, that the as
sociation will come out about even
when the returns are all in.
An item of interest to all was his
report of shipments, the principal
items of which follow:
Apricots 1875 crates
Asparagus 9S4 boxes
Cherries 284 boxes
Grapes, 515 baskets and 1903 crates
Pears 1926 boxes
Plums 576 boxes
Nectarines 1O1 boxes
Peaches 61S73 boxes
Strawberries 1852 crates
There were comparatively small
shipments of blackberries, goose
berries, raspberries and other small
fruits. The shipments of apples
were also small, as orchards belong
ing to members of the association
are, for the most part, not yet in
bearing. The association shipped
about four-fifths of the peaches that
went out from Kennewick and about
fifth of the strawberries.
The most prolific source of dis
cussion was the question of market
ing the strawberries. Since the
great majority-four- ffths-of the
strawberry growers are not in the
association and since the association
has always had the bitter opposi-
ton of the combined middlemen,
it is not surprising that top prices
were not secured by the association.
An effort will be made to make it
easier for the small growers to be-
come members of the association, {
as many think that the payment Of
the hundred-dollar fee for member.
ship is more than they can afford.
To effect this and to adjust other
matters pertaining to the relations
of the strawberry growers and the
association, committee of promin-
ent growers was appointed to work
with the trustees. The committee
appointed consists of Messrs. Des-
oranges, Perry and Grassland.
The general tone of the meeting
was optimistic. The expected crit
icisms did not develop, all feeling
that in these days of beginnings
perfection in management is hardly
to be expected. That the new or
i ganization for marketing the fruit
of the four Northwestern states, the
North Pacific Fruit Distributors.
should have followed 80 closely the
plan of our own Yakima Valley
Fruit Growers Association, tended
to increase the confidence of our
members in the wisdom of those
who engineered the formation of
our organization. The idea that
cooperation, the cooperation of
all growers of fruit is necessary to
the ultimate success of the industry,
is taking firmer root every day, and
we hope to see all Kennewick grow
ers working in one united body for
the common interests of all.
On the adjournment of the asso-
citation meeting, the newly elected
board OF trustees met and organized
for the year 1918. A G.. Hart was
chosen president, Joseph Hess, vice
president, d. j. Beinhart, treas
urer, E. O. Keene. secretary and J.
b. Ollnger, assistant secretary. J.
J. Rudkin was elected delegate to
the Central Association and member
OF Its board of trustees. The pres
ident also is ex-officio, delegate
and member of the board of trustees
of the Central Association.