The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-09-07
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LIVE WIRE SPARKS

. more strongly emphasized. The las
q marketing fizzle is the cantaloupe
As usual, they started off at goo
price, but dropped rapidly, and yer
II soon the dealers turned down all ship
pers except few favorite customers
II There are several car loads of canta
II loupes rotting on the ground her
nova condition absolutely inexcus
able when there are so many peopl,
in the cities who are glad to pay what
II to the raisers, appear to be great big
II prices for them. A crate of canta.
II loupes contains from SO to 81 melons
II and weighs from 60 to 70 pounds. The
express rate to Spokane is $1.O2 per
cwt and to Portland $1.O5, or roughly
something less than 70 and rs cents
a crate. The growers are well salts
fled to get rs cents per crate at this
season which would land them in Spo-
kane at little under $1.45 and in
Portland at under $1.5O. Now the
melons are retailing at varying prices
ranging from cents to for rs cents,
making the price to the consumer
run from $2.75 to $500 per crate.
With such margin at the distribut-
ing end of the line, it is a ridiculous
condition when local dealers can't
handle them at all. It is a ridiculous
condition when they can't pay 75c a |
crate or even $1.OO.
There is small use in blaming the
local dealers, for they aren't directly
responsible for the conditions, but
these conditions will exist as long as
the growers continue to sell their pro-
duce to three or four different dealers
who all seek the same market and
endeavor to market their goods by
cutting prices. Nor again, can we ac-
cuse them of being the direct cutters.
for the strawberry union demonstrate
ed very clearly to those who followed
its workings that it was the commits
sion men at the distributing end of I
the line who played one dealer against .
his neighbor and forced prices down
at will while the farmer held the sack. a
1t is good thing for the commun-
ty Tor us farmers to get it in the n
neck once in while just as we have o
gotten it this year in marketing our o
'antaloupes, for it takes some such u
heroic treatment to wake us up and r.
each us to stand together and demand o.
It least part of what we earn. We pre- II
ict that soon the strawberry growers NJ
nion will handle so many lines that le
here won't be room for more than m
ne independent dealer in Kennewick.
any, and the distributing commits TO
ion men will have long hunt for so
omeone to club down the market. tn
wi
The grange and the parent-teachers to
ssociation have joined efforts to make sa
le local fair a success this year. It ow
Ill be opened in the grange hall at 8 tut
clock Friday evening, Sept. 18th, erl
I'd will close at p. m. Saturday cit
that those in charge will have time co,
arrange the exhibits that go to the {
ate fair at North Yakima, which, wh
ems the following Monday. No ad- tur
lssion is to be charged, and all are bee
'st cordially invited to come and see ora
lat we farmers are doing for the the
Saturday a cafeteria 70
lch will be served for those who bn+
mt to spend the day. All the farm Rer
south of Kennewick are urged to fa;,
ng in at least one thing to place ON
exhibition. Prizes as listed below :,
offered for the boys and girls, and V
ards will be made to the grown maj
as well, but they will consist of mos
bons only. This is no money-mak- Ia 1aee
affair, but is just a gathering of l ne
best we have, for the good of the near
and it is hoped that all proc
show enough community spirit s.os
help out with some exhibit, or at ms
it with their presence. These ex- ciea'
it's, where we can all meet and 10
off our vegetables, our fruits, tire,
IN, butter, eggs, livestock, and our he v
dlwork, and compare notes and Visit
hods and swap lies, are invaluable at it
ne community and deserve it's un- has
ded support. not
rizes will be offered for everything the {
e or raised on the farm, and the Geor
wing special prizes are offered So,
the children. we'll
e have not a complete list of the scrap
IS offered for sewing, but there throw
flrst and second prizes offered for shout
item, and the list includes such u,.,
IS as silver thimbles, silk stock W.
material for dress, material WI.
a shirt waist and many others. ins s =
lines to compete on are: ie'' y
ocheting, an original pattern; tat "A