The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-02-24
Government Office of Markets
Offers Solution for North
west Fruit Problem
FOR SHIPPERS AND GROWERS
producer May Obtain All Benefits
without Becoming Active Men,
bers-Costs Nothing

The governments plan for market
mo the fruit crops of the Northwest,
vhich contemplates cooperation
among the growers and the co-ordina-
4;on Of their interests with those of
the selling agencies, was outlined to
The farmers of the district Tuesday
afternoon by w. H. Kerr, of the u. s.
office of markets and Judge j. M.
Burns, Of the Office of solicitor of the
u. s. department of agriculture.
At a recent meeting in the Com
mercial club rooms these men present
ID full outline of the plan, the out
standing features of which are that
the grower is given all the benefits Of
the organization for nothing, full
knowledge of what is going on for So
! wear and active voice and vote in
the organization for $100 year.
The government proposes the organ
ization of central selling exchange
called the Fruitgrowers' agency, to
which growers and shippers alike are
eligible to membership. The organi-
cation Of this agency has already been
launched in Spokane, where tempo
rary trustees were named and where
articles of incorporation will be filed
this week. The agency will have II
trustees, five of whom are to be grow
ers, five shippers and one chosen by
the active membership of the organ
i1ation. Two of the trustees are to
come from the Yakima Valley, two
from Wenatchee and one each from
Spokane, Hood River, Western Ore
gon, Southern Idaho, Montana and
Walla Walla. The other is chosen at
large.
Equal Representation
The Fruitgrowers' agency is an or
ganization of shippers and growers for
the purpose of marketing the fruit.
Both factors have to be represented
in order to evade conflict with the
terms of the antitrust law. The ba-
sis of the plan is uniform contract
for the marketing Of the fruit Of the
Pacific Northwest, and the purpose of
the organization is to enable the ship
per to carry out the terms of this con-
tract, because he is the agent of the
grower and the growers have a right
to combine to market their produce,
under the provisions of the Sherman
law. This contract will be given in
full in next weeks issue.
The bylaws provide that any ship
per who markets 100 cars of fruit, or
any grower who produces one carload
OF fruit may become an active MEM
Der Of the agency upon the payment
OF 500 but any grower of fruit, in
large or small amount, may become a
passive member on the payment of So
per year. The passive member has
the right to attend any meeting of the
trustees or of the stockholders and
participate in the debate, but has no
vsse in determining the policy that
shall govern. &c.
Any Grower May Join
But any grower may participate in
the benefits of this cooperation if he
signs contract with any selling
agency that is using it without any
further cost to him .han what his SELL
ing agency charges for commission in
handling the fruit. He does not have
to become a member of the Fruitgrow-
ers' agency, either active or passive,
to get full benefits. The costs for
maintaining the organization are to
De apportioned among the shipping
agencies on the basis of the tonnage
shipped, and are accounted for to the
grower in the commission he pays his
snlpping agency for selling his fruit.
According to statements of Mr.. Kerr
and Judge Burns, already Is per
cent of the fruit tonnage of the three
states of Washington, Oregon and
Idaho has been brought into the new
organization.
The government men in company
with County Agriculturalist Lee M.
Lampson, went to Richland Tuesday
evening, where the plan was present
cd to the Richland growers. Similar
meetings are being held this week in
all the towns of the Yakima Valley
oy these two men and their associates,
y. E. Bassett and C. w. Moomaw.