The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-02-03
RAILROADS FINANCE
GROWERS COUNCIL

While lt seems but little known
among the fruitgrowers of the North
west, one of the unique features of the
activities of the Executive committee
of the Growers Council, composed of
W. n. Paulhamus, of Puyallup, Wash,
Gordon c. Corbaley. of Spokane, and
Truman Butler, of this city. during the
past year was the fact, as stated at a
meeting of fruit growers of Pine Grove
last Friday afternoon by Mr.. Butler,
that they were financed by the two rail-
road systems penetrating the Yakima
Valley, the O.-W. X. & N. Co. and the
Northern Pacific R. R. Co.
"Ihis fact may seem peculiar to yon
growers" said MIR. Butler, "but it can
be explained in few words. Through
the participation of our committee and
h. f. Davidson, the latter taking &C.
tive charge of sales of the fruit, in the
peach marketing of the Yakima Val
ley, the railroad people congratulated
US, declaring that 500 carloads more
than ever on any former season were
sold last year. The roads were feeling
so good about it that Mr.. Paulhamus
struck them at the psychological NOM
ent for fancisl aid. Each of the roads
gave $500. We have promised to reim-
burse them. in case any funds from
growers are ever available. Although
no notes exist, we consider the debt
one of honor and hope that we can re-
pay them." Mr.. Butler appeared be
fore the Pine Grove apple men in the
first of series of meetings of CON-
munity institute in session this week.
His address covered fairly minutely
the activities of the Growers Council
from the time of its organization at
Tacoma last February up to the begin
ming of the year, when the Executive
committee voluntarily became dormant,
awaiting some expression ffom grow
ers or the possibility of some valuable
suggestion from the report ofthe rep
resentatives of the Office Of Markets
of the United States. Department of
agriculture, who are now engaged in
making report on Investigations of
the past several months. While Mr..
Butler thinks the Council has failed in
many OF the things set about to accom-
pllsh, he is convinced of the benefits
that have accrued to growers from the
OTRdIlILdttUI . dStiNttiSos "a
for good, he declares, was worked in
the Yakima peach district Whereas
on former years the market early in
the season had gone to smash, large
portion of the crop being allowed to
rot on the ground, the entire product
was sold this year, and the most phe-
mammal feature connected with the
sesson's sales was that of a rising
market as the period of maturity pro-
gressed. =.
He also says that the Council. il no
other act had been accomplished, Justi-
fed its existence since the unequivocal
demand of growers at the Tacoma
meeting for same reform lead directly
to the organization of the Shippers
League, now composed of some 10 OF
the representative shipping agencies
throughout the four states OF the
northwest.
Outlining the initial plans OF the
Growers Council, Mr.. Butler said: !:
"Ihe Tacoma meeting was after the
mannerkof any other body of American
citizens. who, feeling that they have
been aggrieved, meet, explode, aoopt
resolutions, adjourn, and thus the mat,
ter for the most part ends. We did all
of these things. We started to build
our ship from the pilot house down.
One of the reasons for our failure IS
that we have not had the backing Oh
organized units of growers.
"The Tacoma meeting was the out
come of a session of the By-Produets
committee, appointed in 1914 by tue
Growers Congress at the Spokane
Annie Show. On former years tue
Rv.products committee had been given
a jurisdiction merely as to working OUT