The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1914-01-23

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of products, whether they be fruit,
grain or live stock. What sets the
price on the first crate of straw
berries is a matter of interest to
E every producer of strawberries.
Whether they will start out at $6
per crate and drop to 81, or whether
they start out at SIS for the first
crate and then come down to an
average during the season, of less
than $3-these are puzzling prob
lens to one not versed in marketing
and the influences that govern the
regulating of prices.
IL the first place SIS per crate
does not represent the condition of
the market as some might believe.
Anyone, if he is big shipper, can
arrange so he can get the first crate
to sell for SIS or even $25 crate as
has been done in this valley, but
that is merely form of advertising,
both for the shipper, the buyer and
also for the valley that produced it.
So it's merely an investment and
usually it pays we'll, as the first
crate to be received by any dealer
on the street in the market gets
quite an ovation. The people who
; really eat that first crate usually do
not pay anywhere near as much for
the berries as you would think.
Sometimes they are donated and
/ used for a banquet or sometimes
they 60 to the classiest cafe in the
country that always maintains the
record to be the first to announce
the arrival Of the first new fruits
in their season. So it's well for
growers to know that no market
exists that really demands or causes
such an exhorbitant price to be paid.
l AS soon as very few crates have
reached each of the largest and
richest markets then the advertis-
a ing feature ceases to exist and we
must cater to the masses.
In the mining territory where
we market good many of our first
week berries the consumers have to
pay SOC per box for the berries at
retail. This is about the limit and
n it is in but a very few places that
a this price can be had. The people
who eat our berries are the ones who
= govern the prices to great extent.
If they take hold of them at 35
cents per box, well and good; then
the retailer does not object to pay
ing price accordingly, but should
the consumer feel that % cents per
n box is all he will pay and decides
L to wait until they come down to
that figure, then they will come
k down to that figure on that par
: ticular market. But this does not
always indicate that we will come
down to meet the demands of few
consumers in that particular mar
: ket. We don't; but if this con-
dition prevails over the entire ter
ritory and the strawberries are in
creasing at this, the growing end,
of the line, then of course we must
revise our prices downward so as to
allow the retailer to sell his berries
: at 25 cents per box and make pro-
. fit which he is entitled to just as
the grower is entitled to his.
We don't know just when it was,
but away back years ago when
marketing first became problem
in the world, a firm was formed
who did then and have ever since,
controlled the markets. They are
Supply & Demand. This is the
only firm who can control the
markets and we all have to listen tc
their beck and call. Some dealers
may say they were the means Of
| such and such a condition prevail.
- Jig, but it's all rot, especially In
= perishable fruit. You know fol
yourself that when a commodity gets
what you consider too high, ther
you stop using it, particularly if it's
y something to eat and something
I that you can live without.
, The orange freeze last winter IL