The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-03-19
GROWERS LISTEN
TO NEW PLANS
ASSOCIATION MEETING WAS HELD
Large Attendance Saturday, when Ofici.
ialS Of Local Selling Agency and Dis.
tributOrS Outline Plans

Although rumors have prevailed to
the effect that dissensions prevailed
among the ranks of the growers ship
ping through the Apple Growers Asso-
citation, the local atfiliation of the
North Pacific Fruit Distributors. ac.
tion was taken at a meeting here Sat-
urday attended by more than $50 grow
ers that pressages the continuing pre-
dominancy Of the two central agencies
in the local field. AS was expressed by
a number of the speakers of the day,
the Association was formed last spring
on temporary basis, an smalgamation
Of the four shipping agencies then op-
Grating in the valley, the Davidson
Fruit Co, the National Apple Co, the
Hood River Apple K Storage Co. and
the Hood River Apple growers Union.
A committee, with A. w. Stone as
chairman, was appointed by p. S. Da-
wilson, president of the Association, to
prepare plans for more solid organic
alton Of the association. The action
was taken at the suggestion of MIR,
Stone. a member of the board of di-
rectors of the association, who has
spent the past winter Investigations of
cooperative selling agencies. He rec
commended non profit concern, the
members to have both tonnage and
personal representation in the manage.
ment. Provisions will be made for re.
wards for loyal members, while dis
loyal growers will be disciplined, ac-
cordng to the proposed plans. Even
the radical provisions of expulsion of
disloyal member was suggested by one
speaker.
The following officers of the Distrib-
utors were present and delivered ad-
dresses: II. f. Davidson, of this city,
president; j. II. Robbins, of Spokane,
general manager; II. c. Sampson, of
Spokane, secretary, and Wilmer Sieg,
of this city, sales manager of the Hood
River subcentrah
Mr.. Davidson recited his experiences
of the past winter in handling the
eastern and exports trade of the Dis
tributors. One of the features. of the
past years marketing under the Dis
tributors, he explained, was the OPEN
ing of prices at moderate sums and a
continual advance. This condition, he
declared, increasd the consumption of
apples, causing the retailers to reduce
their prices over former years.
Il tind," said Mr.. Davidson, THAT
formerly we have rested under the
erroneous impression that apples should
not be shipped east during the winter
time, and as result the stocks have
rolled back in the early season. How
ever. from what | have learned this
winter, our local storage plants have
increased in value in my eyes materi-
ally. We should store as much of the
fruit at home as possible, and 1t can,
by proper handling, as we demonstrat-
ed this winter. be transported in the
winter months.
Mr.. Davidson declared that Stein
hardt Il Kelly were the best friends of
the box apple district in New York,
and especially Hood River. They ham
die box apples exclusive, he said, and
are continually boosting the North
western districts.
Secretary Sampson declared that be-
fore 1912 the box apple sold itself as q
novelty. "Now," he said, lit is a
commodity and must be sold on sci
entific basis. MIR. Sampson declared
that the Distributors had during the
past year borrowed the sum of approx
imately $445,000 from the Spokane
banks, all of which but 81 900 had been
repaid. This financing the movement
of the crop, be. declared, "conld not be
carried on by private individuals.
Sales Manager Siee in his report
gave the following net price averages
nf hn A uC IptH 10 hA a,N
time: Sptzenburgs, all sizes-Extra
Fancy, $l.59; Fancy, $l.39; Special,
$l.44; G grade, $l.l3.
Newtowns, all sizes-Extra Fancy,
Sl.69; Fancy, $l.49; Special. $l.44, and
G grade, $l.30.
General Manager Robbins declared
that the Apple Growers Association
furnished larger apple tonnage to the
Distributors than any other district in
the Northwest. Although other dis
tricts furnished larger tonnage of
other fruits and apples in the aggre-
gate. the 95 per cent of the product of
your valley was the largest of any
district in apples. The fact that your
district signed up to such an extent
was of material aid to US in our organ
ization, and being able to make like
report the coming year will aid US in
the successful continuation of our
agency"
The meeting was characterized by an
absence of friction. Some display of
dissatisfaction was evidenced Saturday
morning when j. r. Forden asked Mr..
Sieg why the cherry crop had not been
included in his report. The answer was
that the cherry crop was past history.
Mr.. Sieg went on to state that the AS
sociation did not know how many cher
ries the district had to handle, not be-
ing able to secure estimates from
growers. He declared that the district
had done better than most districts,
having received four cents for Lam
berts and Bings and three cents for
Royal Annes.
Roy D. Smith delivered one of his
characteristic patriotic speeches and
criticised tle actions of independent
shippers.
On the motion of Walter Kimball, a
vote of thanks and confidence was ex-
tended to Mr.. Sieg.
The sensation of Saturday afternoon
was the speech of W. Marquis, whose
ranch "is near fuckers bridge" 1t
was worth dollar of anybody's money
to have heard the recountal of Mr..
Marquis experiences in selling his
own apple crop. 81 had eastern
friends who told me that | would get
barrelful of money" said Mr.. Mar
gulis, whose home is in Portland, IF |
would only allow them to handle my
apples. didn't even get bucketful
of money" The orchardists present
do not wonder that he failed to make a
success selling apples, for it was the
unanimous opinion that MIR. Marquis
should be on the vaudeville stage.
Addresses were delivered by c. W.
Hooker and w. W. Rodwell. P. S.
Davidson presided over the meeting.
4 a L K