The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-10-21
H. F. DAVIDSON
RAPS AUCTIONS

Because of the choatIc conditions
that he says have been produced by the
operations of apple. sellers who consign
their product or who dispose Of il at
auction, Il. F. Davidson will make a
strong appeal for aid to the North
western Fruit Growers Council, Of
which w. II. Paulhamus is the eXecu-
tive head. Writing to his association
from New York, where he has opened
offices, Mr.. Davidson says:
"The Northwestern Growers Council
should include every fruit grower in
the four states of Oregon, Washington,
Idaho and Montana. The first hard
work to be done by the organization
will be that of stopping the prevailing
foolhsrdy methods of marketing. The
grower or shipper VINO fOolishly ships
his fruit on small advance or without
any advance from eastern commission
houses or auction firms, with no person
al representative on the ground to pro-
tect his interests. is not only in line for
bankruptcy himself, but is making it
impossible for his neighbors to exist as
fruit growers. Unless this matter is
taken seriously by growers, merchants,
bankers and everybody interested in or
depending on the fruit business and
unless credits are given or Withheld in
accordance with the policy employed
by the various shippers, the fruit in
dustry of the northwest is certainly in
a bad way.
THE apple marketing season is yet
young, but most serious conditions are
developing, which, if not promptly cor
rected, will send the boxed apple in
dustry to the bow vows.
Last year the crop was enormous
and there was a scrambletfor an outlet.
A fair excuse could be found for chaOt-
ic conditions. This year the crop 10
short, and statistics show that the lin
tied supply is fading away in almost
every state, and there is no excuse for
the foolish methods being employed by
the many shippers. Let the Growers
Council take strong hand in this mat
ter and get the industry on a proper
basis.
MIR. Davidson says Ethere are essen
TALLY three different methods of hand
ling boxed apples. He heads the list
with the f. o. b. method, where the
fruit is bought at defnitesprice at
the point of shipment, the buyer sell
ing the fruit himself and making bis
own profit and loss. Next he gives the
open consignment, where frequently a
small advance is made. The third
method he designates as consignments
to operators, who have no ability or
facilities of their own and who throw
the fruit on the auctions, where it is
sold at buyers prices.
"In the third case, says Mr.. David
son, "there is no stability of price, a
single lot of fruit varying as much as
81 per box, showing the whims of the
buyers. The grower. however, suffers
accordingly.
1.-The criticisms of the auction do
not apply as forcibly in the case of the
more perishable fruits, such a plums,
pears and grapes as in the case of ap-
pies. The latter can be kept for weeks
and months, where the former go into
consumption quickly. and each day S
market is unto itself.
"lf suggestion we're made by me to
barrel men that they sell their fruit at
auction, he would be considered a fit
subject for the insane asylum. The
barrel men will not stand for any such
nonsense. The feeling, however. pre-
walls that box apple men will stand for
any novel method that will guarantee
them harvesting cost, "