Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1914-10-15
Competition
Forces Lower
Prices
According to President Davidson of
the Distributors Others Offered for
Less.

The following interview with II
F. Davidson, President Of the Nortl
Pacific Fruit Distributors is interes,
ing from the standpoint that it give
a good impression of market cohdi
tions. In discussing the apple situa
ton Mr.. Davidson said:
After the several officials of the
North Pacific Fruit Distributors as
sociation had returned from attend
ing the international Apple Shippers
convention held at Boston, our pub
licity department had gathered all
statistics possible regarding the ap-
pie production in the United States
and foreign countries and after hay-
ing fully canyassed the market out
look, the board of trustees cf the
North Pacific Fruit Distributors met
in Spokane and agreed upon an ap-
proximate scale of prices at which to
move this years apple crop, and aft
er considering the schedule fully
with the general managers and sales
managers, we submitted this sched-
ule to about six of the largest deal
ers in box apples in the United Stat
es for their approval. They agreed
unanimously that the schedule pro-
posed was perfectly fair and reason
able under the conditions existing at
that time, and af.er some slight re-
vision a schedule was adopted and a
price list was sent out to the trade
generally.
THE following prices were quoted:
Extra fancy Spitzenbergs, Yellow
Newtowns, Winesaps and Ortleys at
s1.20 per box; Arkansas Blacks. Win
ter Bananas, s1.35 per box; Ganos
and Black Ben Davis, S5c per box;
Ben Davis. 75c per box; Stayman
Winesaps, 81 per box f. o. b. This
price list was mailed out on Septem-
Der 3, and on September 81 we had
entered definite orders for future
shipment of 673 cars of apples.
AT the time of the meeting of the
international Apple Shippers assoc.a-
tion, the general opinion among the
buyers was that there would be no (. 4
o. b. buying this season, and cons.d- I
ering the fact that the European war
had its depressing effect upon condi-
tions generally, we were well pleased 4
with the business that we had book
ed, and we had demon stfated clear
ly thai our ideas of prices were IN
line with conditions that prevailed.
Since that time it has developed that
the apple crop in several of the large
producing districts has deteriorated
in quality and quantity and as these
reports came out and were fully sub
stantiated the number of orders book
ed at our various offices increased
These orders were practically all
booked at our schedule prices, and
We did not find it necessary to make
any changes in our prices and we
saw no indication of increased busi-
ness by making reduction in pric-
es. This condition prevailed till about
September %, when we found that
prices ranging from 15 cents to 40
cents per box lower than ours had /
been quoted generally all over the
country by large marketing ex-
change which has local shipping con-
nections furnishing it more or less
tonnage from all the large producing
centers in the northwest. These quo
tations had the effect of stopping
business for short time as we could
not overcome the difference of an /
proximately an average of % cents ]
per box without making marked con- ]
cessions from our schedule prices.
THE prices made by the North Pa
oific Fruit Distributors will give the
growers a small margin above the
cost of production, harvesting and
marketing, but an average cut of %
cents per box on the prices quoted
places them below the cost of pro-
duction.
THE apple crop of the northwest. |,
estimated at 10000 cars, with a re-
duction of 25 cents per box would be
$3.50 per car, or total loss of 81, 500,
ooOto the industry. There are approx
imately $4,000 growers producing an.
pies In the northwest at the present
time and loss of this character
would cost the growers on an aver {
age of about $1,000 each.
Our organization is merely band
of growers associated together for
the purpose of protecting the pro-
ducts that we are producing and the
10000 growers affiliated with us re-
gret the necessity Of forcing these
conditions.
I'VE are confident that the best !