The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-09-18
| Robbins stated:


apples. this season, which, of course,
are directly effected by existing con-
ditions was the subject under DELHI
GRAFTON throughout most of the final
days session. The board was unan-
imous in its agreement on the FEAST
bility of again pursuing last years
policy of starting prices on basis
sufficiently attractive to the trade
to induce the early and prompt move
ment of the crop and to avoid har-
vest time decentralization. 1t is con-
fident that Notwithstanding adverse
circumstances we shall be able to
maintain gradually rising scale.
I'm compliance with instructions
from the central office, all the
trustees from the various affiliated
districts brought to the meeting, to
be filed in the office, comprehensive
report, itemized by varieties, of ton
mage now actually in the control Of
the distributors. Coupled with this
was most careful estimate of the
total production in all of the fruit
sections of Washington, Oregon, Ida
no and Montana. 1t was gathered at
considerable expense and is regarded
as absolutely accurate. We found
that the total commercial production
of apples will amount to 1850 cars.
This is a decrease of fully Is per
cent from the estimate reported at
the previous board meeting, due to
continued drouth and heat in many
sections and full ten thousand cars
les than estimates generally quoted
at blossom period.
ut was definitely ascertained at
this meeting that the distributors
have actually under contract SO per
cent of the apple tonnage of the
northwest. A large proportion of the
balance is still unpledged and much
of this undoubtedly will come under
the distributors orderly control the
moment the fact becomes evident to
such growers as are still hoping for
the cash buyer and the speculator
that he is not and will not be in
existence this year. This additional
increase, which is almost inevitable,
will bring our holdings up to fully
60 per cent of the northwestern ap-
pie crop.
Realizing that cash buyers and
spectators would not be in evidence
to an yextent this season, we have
secured options on a large amount
of cold storage space in order to
properly house and protect our ton
mage and thus place ourselves in a
position to feed it out to the rade
as consumption shall demand. The
management has been authorized to
close contracts for eastern storage
sufficient to place us in a strong po-
sition in the leading markets. A sub
stantial raise in price over last year
for storage space has been made,
owing to conditions created by the
war. Food products which ordinarily
go abroad and the large eastern bar
rel apple crop have created an alb
normal demand. We feel that we
were fortunate in having taken our
options early and thus secured the
choice of locations. Moreover, we
predict that those growers who delay
making their arrangements will have
difficulty in properly conserving their
tonnage to the best advantage.
Reports presented at the board
meeting developed the fact that to
date this year we have shipped 1853
cars, as against 800 last year, an in
crease of approximately 800 per cent.
The machinery of the distributors has
been so developed and perfected and
our policies and methods are so we'll
defined that they will be able to
fully meet any demands that may
be made upon them this season."