The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-02-04
NV. FRUIT EXCHANGE
SUBMITS SELLING PLAN

of the selling agencies. IL was praised
as highly constructive but like the Dis.
tributors plan, it was referred TO the
convention called for Tacoma on Febru'
ary Is. In brief the resolution is al
follows:
Resolved, That this convention &c
on record as favoring the following
definite constructive program; That az
advisory board shall be created, broadly
representative of the fruit growers OF
the four northwestern states, and that
the functions of this advisory board
shall be as follows:
"Ql To call the heads of the vari.
Gus marketing agencies into joint con-
ference from time to time, as occasion
may require, with view Of consulta'
! ton as to market conditions.
"(2I General standardization of all
methods from tree to car, including
picking, grading, packing, hauling, as
sembliug, loading and shipping, with
view of eliminating many wasteful ex'
travaganCes and errors, which are cost
ing the growers heavily at the present
| time.
"(3) Uniform, efficient and impair.
tial official inspection, with a view OF
creating confidence in the minds of alb
sent buyers, and attaching to the prod
ucts of the northwest staple value
which will not only induce the freest
trading but will make said products
bankable security for loans.
"a Industrial advertising of north
western fruits, without reference to
brand. (which will supplement, rather
than interfere, with the promotion OF
special brands this campaign to COM
prehend not only the creation of con-
sumptive demand for our products, but
also the education of consumer, retailer
and wholesaler, as to varieties, uses
and handling of our products in proper
manner to insure highest satisfaction.
Through this advertising and educa-
tional campaign, definite effort to be
made to render the handling of our
products so safe as naturally to estab-
lsh a more reasonable margin of profits
by the trade-especially the retail trade
than are now in many cases exacted,
by reason of the dangerous, unregulated
and unprotected character of the busi-
ness.
30 A transportation bureau, repre-
senting the combined tonnage of the
northwest, with view of presenting a
solid industrial front to common car
riers in transportation matters.
"(6) A first class crop statistical bu-
reau, under professional Management ;
this bureau to gather data concerning
crops. not only of apples, but all other
deciduous fruits, and also in general
way, of citrus fruits, bananas and all
others that affect the northwestern
fruit market position, directly or indi-
rectly. The functions of this bureau
could be extended in certain directions
with high advantage. To illustrate :
1t is generally known that last year
there we're shipped out of the northwest
around 5000 cars of apples, and this
year between r. 900 and $4,000, but no.
body knows how many cars of Jonathan
apples were shipped in any season. 1t
is quite conceivable that, whereas, gen
eral apple crops may be abundant, there
may well be. at the same time, an i'm
portant variety shortage, and full
knowledge of this would enable sellers
to exact a higher price for the short
variety than the general price position
of the market would otherwise indicate.
go Adoption of an official, uniform
classification of average returns made
by the various marketing agencies to
their principals. to which shall be given
by the advisory board general and
widespread publicity, 1t is well
known fact that, owing to the radical
difference in these classifcatlons at the
pesent time fruit growers are unable
inteligently to compare the results of
one with the other, and without this
ability it is impossible for them to be
certain whether or not the service re-
ceived is the best service available
This one thing has caused severe losses
to thousands o. fruit growers, and is
an evil easy of correction.
"(S) The appointment of a firm of
chartered accountants, of national rep
utation, acceptable to all concerned,
including the marketing agencies, who
shall, in behalf of the advisory board
and representing the fruit growers of
the entire north west, audit the account
ing of the various marketing agencies,
and certify to the advisory board as to
the exact correctness of the published
averages.
THE adoption of these two provisions
alone would result in the automatic
elimination of incompetent agencies.
and afford fruit growers at large an
absolutely dependable basis of iudg-
ment in the selection of their sales rep
resentatives. These two things alone,
taken together, would establish a bond
of confidence between growers and
their servants which is now generally
lacking, and would result in the saving
to the industrial community of hun
dreds of thousands of dollars in any
given season, after its operations had
become effective. No marketing agency
can legitmately object to these pro
visions. Successful cooperation be-
tween growers and their agencies must
be based on confidence, and cannot be
based on suspicion and distrust. There
must be a reason for confidence.
"(9) The working out, in conjunc-
tion with the heads of marketing agel-
cies of practical plan for the regula-
tlon and restriction of the tramp car
evil, so far as it is an evil; the general
idea being largely to abolish the ship
ment of car to intermediate gateway
destinations, and rather, to bill practi-
caIIy all cars unsold at time of ship
ment directly from shipping point to
destination markets. In this manner
the unsold surplus may be distributed
over the whole market in correct rela-
tion to the consumptive or distributing
capacity of each. thereby avoiding con-
gestlon, oversupply, Generalization
and the resultant injustice to that see
tion of the trade which has already in
vested its money in cur products, and
who are entitled to protection. In this
manner small markets, now not con-
sumers of our fruits, can be developed,
and large central markets, having a
wide influence over the whole situation,
can be regulated and kept healthy-a
most vital consideration. The one fea-
ture of organized protection of the
trade who have invested their money in
our fruits and thereby become copart,
ners with ourselves in the business
would result enormously in the creation