The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-06-03
CONFIDENCE
IS EXPRESSED
SIEG ISSUES BOOKLET TO GROWERS
Cooperation and Common Sense DStri-
button are Advised by Sales
Manager

/ by Wilmer Sieg, entitled "A Few
/ Thoughts From the Sales Manager,
With an Urgent Request for Your AT.
teniOn, was distributed to the grower
members of the Apple Growers Associ-
/ alton. Significant extracts from the
/ booklet appear below.
/ am truly grateful for the conf
dence expressed in me in calling me
/ back to Hood River to take.charge of
/ your sales interests. | have the feel
/ ing that Hood River has the best op-
/ portunities ahead of it for the future
opportunities unequalled by any other
section of the northwest. | was per.
fectly willing to cut loose from all alli-
ances. burn my bridges behind me and
/ link my future with yours. My furni-
ture is here; have gone to housekeep-
/ ing and want to be permanent citizen
| OF Hood River, realizing fully that my
future can be just what you help me
to make it. My whole time, thought
and attention will be devoted toward
trying to solve the mighty big problem
that confronts US. and the only help
want in solving this problem is your
cooperation.
/ hh VI tlNdItl OO NGdIS III
marketing fruit products. together
with a constant study during the last
three years of such points as would
concern your interests, prompts this
circular at this time.
In the first place, let me say that
from logical standpoint there never
should be local competition in the hand
! ling or marketing of Hood River fruit
| | take the stand that we have in Hood
| River, to degree, a special product,
the distribution of which cannot be
competitive with the northwest in gen.
eral, because our main varieties tSpt-
zenburgs and Newtownsl as grown
here are not produced to equal advant-
age elsewhere. With this feeling that
we produce special product, we of
| Hood River need not worry as to crop
conditions of any section. There is al.
ways room at the top, there is always a
market for speciality, provided we
make it speciality by adopting the
two cardinal principles; first, monop-
oily of product; second, common sense
distribution.
1t is very regrettable therefore that
the only harmful competition we have
comes from among ourselves, and | am
in hopes that the sun will soon shine
bright enough to let US see the error Of
our ways.
start the season with the warmest
feelings towards all shipping organiza-
| tions III the northwest and with will.
| ingness to cooperate with them in any
and all ways that will best protect your
| interests.
We intend to market our products di-
rect because we feel that the maximum
results can be secured for Hood River
through the medium of direct attention
aud direct sales service and this can
only be attained by direct effort under
your own guidance.
1t is our purpose to specialize Hood
River fruit every day in the year and
we are building up sales force in ev-
cry portion of these United States that
Will work for Hood River superiority.
You have at the present time facili
ties sufficient at Hood River to properly
house such proportion of your crop as
should be held here. The duplication
of expense of building new warehouses
at this time is unwarranted and means
only unnecessary debts that you must
pay in the future.
You have at your command now the
finest terminal facilities in the north
west aud do not know of another sec
tion in these United States that offers
the producer the same chance for pro-
lection at the same light expense.
Your own interests are founded on
economy of handling and results Sc.
cured for your product. The protection
of your own interests demand closer CO.
operation at home and the full use of
your own warehouse facilities.
Hood River is practically the small
est apple section in the northwest
This valley can never be greater than
the cUnnfies that nature gave it.
In years past you have built up a
record for quality that is still an asset
to you. No other section can steal
your name, and with the advantages
that Providence has given you, if you
cannot monopolize your product and
obtain the commercial advantage that
lies at your door, our hopes for the fu-
ture must be founded OH sand.
| come to you as a specialist to dag
nose your trouble, to locate the weak
spots and stop the leaks. Sales service
is not the only cure we need, but we
must blame lax inspection for GER
tain share of our evils. have been at
both ends of the line. know the evils
at home as we'll as il the market and if
| cannot change these conditions will
have failed in my duty.
There has been period of demoral-
ization and we want to profit by exper-
fence and not experiment. There are
too many in the field trying to feed on
the dissatisfaction of the grower in all
sections. The medicine must fit the
disease. Don't look to short crop sea
sons for your salvation because short
crops are only periodical, and if we de-
pend on them our orchards will have
little or no value.
Persistent organization, cooperation
at home and common sense sales meth !
DDS are your safeguards for the future.
Another important fact to be taken |
into consideration is that the brands we
are building up are your brands and !
can never be taken away from you be- !
cause we specialize Hood River exclu- |
siVely. No matter what may happen
to the Association in the future, its !
method Of work and its established !
brands will all innure to the benefit of |
Hood River in general The brands !
others are putting out mean nothing to |
you because you do not control them. |
Should any occasion arise wherein 9TH !
ers would not continue to enter into the !
marketing of your fruit, these brands
could he taken away and other sections
with even moderate amounts of the
same variety of fruit, would profit from
your work. Think this over; it's worth
while.
The season past was full of disap-
pointments, but the Apple Growers AS
sociatiOn, box for box and grade for
grade, will return more net money to
its members than any other organiza-
tion in the northwest. If you can &C.
complish this result when working