Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-15
A Lesson for the East

At Chicago, the other day, G. Harold
Powell Of Los Angeles addressed
gathering Of rs representatives of the
leading newspapers Of the country on
the subject of the marketing methods
and business aims of the great Cali
fornia Fruit Growers Exchange Of
which he is general manager. Mr..
Powell explained the operations Of
the exchange, which does a business
without capital and without profit,
and pointed out the advantages of the
exchange principle to both the grower
and the consumer of California oranges
and lemons.
AS result Of the extreme care and
scientific methods Of handling the
fruit by the $500 grower members of
the exchange, California citrus fruits
reaches the Eastern housewives table
as fresh and perfect in every way as
den State, the grower profiting in his
turn because the fruit is salable and
because economical handling prevents
excessive selling costs.
Zone thing, we believe is misunderstood
by the average consumer" said Mr..
Powell, land that is this-the California
orange purchased during the summer
months is not a winter orange which has
been held in cold storage but is fresh
picked summer orange. The orange
nc iAtN hoo inc n
ripen on the trees about May list ard is
picked and shipped fresh from the trees
every day thereafter until about Novem-
Der LIST when the navel variety comes
into the market. 1t is, therefore, posi-
bic to have fresh picked California
oranges every day the year round
The exchange is carrying on an ex-
tensive advertising campaign for the
purpose of increasing the consumption of
oranges and lemons and we feel that this
campaign is having beneficial effect on
the public health generally for certainly
everyone from babies to old people is
better for the more frequent use of these
fruits. We are not trying to switch peo-
pie from one kind of orange or lemon to
another. for that would merely divert
business. To get the best results for
both grower and consumer alike we must
make people eat more of all kinds Of
oranges and lemons. That is the main
aim in all our publicity"
The aim is legitimate. 1t is not
the aim of an organization that sells
poison or would rob children Of .ood
and clothing at the same time it was
robbins their fathers of intelligence
and physical efficiency. 1t is a laud-
able aim to sell more fruit to the
people, for people who eat generously
of fruit are healthier and happier and
get farther away from habits that
make for neither health nor happiness
And that is why we wish eastern
fruit growers could get together in
an organization half as efficient ano
half as effective as the California or
ganization. 1t would save for the
growers and for the consumers il
would be educative for those who
raise fruit in care of trees, packing
and shipping, and it would be crafty
ing to those who buy, to have eastern
fruits properly graded, packed and
displayed in eastern markets beside
the splendid showings from the far
Pacific.
Today the successful grower ships
the splendid showings from the far
his apples to Europe and we eat those
grown in oregon and Washington. We
are much interested in Mr. Powells
address because--well, because it is
SO different from the eastern methods