Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-07-10
FRUIT GROWERS MERGE
POLK COUNTY REPRESENTED
AT PORTLAND MEETING.
Local Fruit Association Becomes AT
filiated With Big Western Dis
tributors' Organization.

At a session of the local fruit as
sociation last Friday afternoon it wa
decided that the organization shoul,
become affiliated with the North Pa
ciic Distributors, and President Fl
A. Wood represented the Polk count,
q fruit growers at a meeting of western
associations, held in Portland OF
Wednesday, when a new sub-centra
was organized under the name OF
Western Oregon Fruit Distributors
with Mr.. Wood as one of the direc-
tors. Charles A. Malboeuf was elect
ed general manager of the new sub
central. The selection was made OH
the basis of Mr.. Malboeuf's expert
ence of many years as a traffic man
and his especial study Of fruit ship
ping as manager of the Fruit Grow
ers Transportation league
Represented at the Portland meet
ing, were eleven fruit raisers local
organizations Of the willamette val
ley. One from each of these districts
was elected on the board of directors
and the directors chose the following
officers: President, C. A. Brand of
Roseburg; vice president, j. R. Ne
Craken, of Underwood, Wash; secre-
tary, J. J. Conger, of White Salmon,
Wash. The directors are: Mr..
Brand, Fl. A. Woods, Dallas; F. A.
Franz, Sutherlin, S. I. Pratt, Cor
wallis; Mr.. Conger, C. A. Park, Sa-
lem; H. E. Crowell, Newberg; j. o.
Holt, Cottage Grove; G.. X. Fargo,
Portland; H. E. Mccormick, Eugene,
and Mr.. McCraken.
This is the first time the William
cite valley growers have been ac-
lively represented in any concerted
movement for the marketing of their
crop. Special attention will be given
by Mr.. Malboeuf to the transporta-
tion problem, particularly the water
transportation, since the aim of the
distributors is to extend the market
as far as possible to avoid profit kill
ing competition with other fruit rails
ing sections. The Panama canal will
be utilized for the transportation of
fruit to the east and gulf, and special
efforts will be put forth to establish
markets in South America.
This is the first time that the peach
crop of the willamette valley will
become commercial factor in any
profitable sense and the distributors
propose to handle apples, peaches,
MELONS. tomatoes and other products.
With this organization, which is the
first step in a comprehensive scheme
of organizing the valley growers. the
officials expect large increase in
of local societies of grow
ers. 1t will mean a physical super
of all growers. for the sake
of standards of quality and pack, I
which will give the western Oregon
fruit its proper standing in the mar I
kets.
Paid inspectors will see that the {
fruit actually is up to this standard,
so that the buyer will not be prompted
to reject shipments because they are
not as represented. The expense of
the organization will be betrayed by
a tax on the fruit actually handled
through the distributors, amounting {
to few cents per box.
"The work of the Fruit Growers
transportation league will be carried {
IN in connection with the new organ Y
zation," said General Manager Nal i
1oeuf. "We will continue our study
If Transporting fruit TO market and '
Keep in touch with rate problems, re- 4
'rigcration, routings of ear and ship
md all the other features of the |
eaeue s activities -
The local organizations that so far a
lave affiliated with the distributors
ire: Umpqua Valley Fruit union, |
2oseburg; Sutherlin Fruit Growers
Sutherlin; Cottage Grove .
Fruit Growers ASSOCIATION, Cottage
irove; Eugene Fruit Growers asso- II
iation, Eugene; Benton County
irowers' association, Corvallis; Polk Il
county Fruit association, Dallas;
tewberg Cooperative Growers assoc e
iation, Newberg; Fargo Fruit Grow
rs association, Fargo: Apple Grow l.
rs union of White Salmon valley,
Underwood, Wash, and White Sal L
nan Valley Apple Growers union,
White Salmon, Wash. o.
4.