Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-03-30
MARKET PROBLEM
IS DISCUSSED BY
FRUIT EXPERTS
Representatives Of the Blu
reau of Markets Of the De-
partment Of Agriculture
Deliver Addresses.
Capital News Special service.l

Capital News Special Eervice.)
Payette, March sO.--A series OF gov
eminent meetings have been held in
the PACING northwest, some Of which
were held In the Payette and Boise val
leys on Monday and Tuesday nights OF
this week. very strong meeting being
held in the Commercial club rooms at
Payette Tuesday night Mr.. Bassett
represented the federal departmen Of
markets and presented their plan
evolved for marketing the fruit crop OF
the northwest Mr.. Bassett reviewed
very carefully the critical position OF
the fruit industry OF the northwest and
emphasized the necessity of organized
control OF the tonnage In order to sus-
tain markets.
The one advantage that the north
west fruit has over that OF the other
fruit growing sections of the United
States is its superior quality and APP
pearance, being highly colored and In
magnificent physical condition. Against
this one great advantage the fruit
growers Of the northwest had one
great disadvantage, that OF exorbit-
ant freight rate of from 40 cents
cient profit for the eastern growers.
The one thing most important then for
the fruit growers of the northwest was
that Of their grade and pack. Just the
moment that he becomes loose on these
and begins to send out inferior fruit.
just that moment he looses his one
great asset as he can not compete with
the low grade fruit of the eastern Sec
ton with the differential in freight.
Too Much Suspicion.
One of the serious positions Of the
growers Of the northwest, which was
mentioned by Mr.. Bassett, was the
great amount of suspicion OF all parties
connected with the fruit industry, ex-
tending to himself. the growers. This
suspicion must be cured and the con-
fidence restored among the growers and
among the shipping agencies and ev-
cry grower must have confidence in the
shipping agency which markets his
fruit, without this disintegration is
going to occur. and the greater the lack
Of confidence the greater the disinte-
grafton. He told very good story to
illustrate this point and thereby drove
home his point more forcibly.
Mr. Bassett's presentation of the
uniform contract" and the absolute
necessity Of the growers insisting on
whatever organization he signed up
his fruit with being pledged to affiliate
with the Fruit Growers agency was
very clear indeed. He explained that
this was the weapon in the growers
power to use to bring his marketing
agency into the Growers Marketing
agency which has been organized by all
of the largest selling agencies OF the
northwest In company with growers
representatives sent from each district
| in the northwest. This organization
was launched last week at Spokane
officers elected, and committees APP
pointed Mr.. Bassett urged the grow
ers OF southern Idaho to withhold their
tonnage from any organization that did
not use the uniform contract" and af-
filiate with the Fruit Growers agency
with headquarters at Spokane. There
II trustees on the board of the Fruit
/ Growers agency, Ave of them bona
hde growers and five of them marketing
men, the eleventh being elected large
thus the control of the agency Is vest
ed in the hands Of the growers them
selves as well as the marketing men
This was done with the sole purpose OF
bringing out confidence In the Fruit
Growers agency, and in the various
marketing agencies who are affiliated
Herewith, as knowledge Of the condi-
lions is the only thing that would sat
| isfy the growers and remove from him
every doubt and prejudice. The mar
keting agencies already affiliated with
the Fruit Growers agency controls be-
tween 70 per cent and so per cent Of
the tonnage Of the northwest, based on
figures Of the 1915 crop.