The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-02-25
GROWERS COUNCIL
WILL Be BIG HELP
New Organization will Act as q
Balance Wheel to Selling
Agencies of Northwest

Agencies of Northwest
The results of the Tacoma conven-
ton Of fruitgrowers last week are con-
cisely set forth in the following inter-
views from two men who were present.
J. II. Robbins, general manager OF the
North Pacific Fruit Distributors, ex-
pressed deep satisfaction in the OUT
come Of the meeting. He said:
"The Distributors, being strictly
cooperative in character and having
no existance apart from the growers
themselves, are naturally delighted
with the opportunity that will be at
forded the growers, as result OF the
Tacoma meeting, to avail themselves
Of what may well be styled an impair
tial umpire in the correction Of un-
justifable competition and numerous
other evils associated with the mar
keting Of their fruit. We, Of course,
share with every individual grower in
our entire membership, and, in fact,
all other growers in the Northwest,
having common interest, their desire
to advance and protect the fruit In
dustry by securing more orderly con-
troll Of it.
eff we could have had fair tri-
bunal this year, such as the one Gre
ated at Tacoma is designed to be- with
whom we could have filed evidence in
our possession and could have pre-
vented the havoc wrought by consign-
ments alone, we could have saved the
growers Of the Northwest hundreds Of
thousands Of dollars during this one
season. Therefore, we welcome q
means which may help to eliminate
consignments.
Barring few purely minor points,
the plan unanimously adopted at Ia
coma had the full approval Of the
management and board Of trustees Of
the Distributors prior to the Tacoma
convention"
Duties Of Council
That the growers Of the Northwest
can reap a tangible benefit from the
outcome Of the Tacoma meeting is the
opinion Of Ward NJ. Sackett, Of Cor
wallis, Oregon, the member Of the
newly created board of control from
that state. Mr.. Sackett also explained
the respective duties Of the growers
council, the board Of control and the
executive committee.
Delegates at the Tacoma conven-
ton, representing all Of the growers
of the different districts, irrespective
Of affiliations, resolved themselves into
what is now known as the growers
council" Mr.. Sackett stated. 1.-THE
council is a permanent organization
and at the present time is composed Of
107 members, district representation
being proportionate to tonnage. It is
the ultimate source Of authority.
Each Of the ten district delegations
included within the council nominated
one member to the board Of control,
composed Of ten members, who, how
ever, were actually elected by the en-
tire growers council. The board Of
control has in general way complete
supervision Of the work Of the organi-
cation. Each member Of the board
must be bona fide grower and cannot
be q salaried officer or employee Of any
marketing concern.
Executive Committee
THE executive committee Of three
members was nominated by the grow
ers' council but actually elected by the
board Of control. This committee is
to be the active business head Of the
organization, working under the ten
members Of the board Of control.
When complaints are filed by either
growers or shippers against a shipper
because Of acts injurious to price
maintenance or the best interests Of
the industry, the committee is en-
powered to investigate the records Of
the shipper in question and present the
facts, as ascertained, to the complain
ant and the ten members Of the board
of control, allowing public opinion to
correct the injustice. Publicity is to
be the remedy. Through this opera
ton it is hoped that consignments may
be eliminated and auction sales re-
stricted as far as found practicable,
and also that the grading and packing
Of fruit may be standardized. Rules
covering details have not been worked
out yet, but the concensus of opinion
at Tacoma was that the scope Of the