The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-01-25
Money Talks
TO
Fruit Growers
BY
Northwestern Fruit Exchange
No. 4...The Growers
Take a Hand
TO FRUIT GROWERS:


TO FRUIT GROWERS:
In my last talk told you bow Mr..
Crutchfield and happened to incorpor-
ate the NORTHWESTERN FRUIT
EXCHANGE. Well. with the charter
in my pocket ] started west, and ar
rived at Portland. Ore., on June 16.
1910, where established a temporary
office. | then started out to find mel
among the growers who would first be
men Of the highest personal character
that's fundamental. you know. moth
ing worth while is ever built without
it-who would at the same time be
men who had substantial investments
in orchards and whose viewpoint would
be that of PRODUCERS rather than
LAND SPECTATORS A XII nd Provi.
dence must have watched over me, for
| was unusually successful In finding
the right men almost at once and
avoiding any serious mistakes in per-
sonnel. To a group of these men. !
made this proposition = ITO ensure the
stability of your own Interest you have
got to help ensure the stability of this
industry. To do that, first-class NAL
keting and distributing machine has
got to be built, az the need for It is al
most immediate. ! am stranger to
you; so is Mr.. Crutchfeld. Likewise.
you are strangers to US, but to show
our good faith we will provide the nee.
essary capital to start this organization
and after we get better acquainted
with each other we can adjust the stock
ownership on an equitable basis. Mean
while. we who provide the capital are
willing that you growers. representing
yourselves and your neighborR, shall
cons titute the board Of directors, frame
the policies. and actually run the busi-
ness.
Surely. nothing could be fairer. We
are willing to place ourselves. in your
hands and take chances Of q square
DEAL"
Maybe this sounds like very unus-
ual proposition. and II WAS, but that's
the way we put it up to these men.
They accepted, and an organization
meeting was held in Seattle on July 20,
1910, at which REGINALD H. PAR.
SONS was elected president. two other
growers vice presidents, and was ap-
pointed general manager. was au.
thorized to equip the Office and organize
the forces. Accordingly. Offices were
opened in Portland early in August and
work rushed to get the machinery ready
In time for marketing apples Of the
1910 crop.
REGINALD H. PARSONS,
PRESIDENT.
Looking back over the years that
have passed since the Exchange was
organized, am filed with wonder and
gratitude that We were so fortunate as
to elect REGINALD II. PARSONS
president of the Exchange. lie has
served in this capacity continuously
since the beginning. Had we searched
not only the Northwest. but the coun.
try over, we could not have picked
better man. Occupying a prominent
position in the business and civic life
OF Seattle, where for some years he
was manager of the BEMlS BROS.
BAG COMPANY. Mr.. Parsons had &C.
quired some time before the Exchange
was organized the famous HILLCREST
ORCHARDS of the Rogue River Val
ley. From these orchards, comprising
200 acres, he shipped, in 1909. the car
of fruit which established the worlds
record for highest price ever paid for q
carload of deciduous fruit. This record
was made on car of his COMICE
PEARS, which averaged $10.08 per box
for the carload. or q gross of over
$5, 600. This record was nearly ap-
preached the following year, when
car of the same variety averaged $40
per box straight through. MIR. Parsons
values this orchard at approximately
half million dollars, and holds il abso.
iutely as a permanent investment, not
speculation. He wants to hand it
down to his children and bis children's
children. Naturally he wants 1t to con-
tinue to be worth what IL is now.
Therefore. Mr.. Parsons was very keen.
ly interested. right from the start, In
helping to organize and develop the
EXCHANGE. His training as a man.
ufacturer had taught him the necessity
for efficiency and economy In produc.
tion and distribution. He was not in
terested at all in dividends on his stock
in the NORTHW ESTERN FRUIT EX.
CHANGE, and therefore the fact that
the EXCHANGE has never in all its
six and half years paid dividends or
come anywhere near paying them has
not troubled MIR. Parsons at all, nor has
his years of patient effort as president
Of the EXCHANGE without compensa.
tion. and frequently in the face of mis-.
representation and Misunderstanding by
the public of the motives of the EX.
CHANGE. ever lessenesd bis steadfast
purpose and continuity of effort. In
recent years. when the EXCHANGE
has come to be generally respected and
its work appreciated by the general
public, Mr.. Parsons has quietly re.
marked that ''if you are right, the fact
is sure to be known in the end, il you
will STAY WITH 1T"
Twill tell you something of our other
officers and directors in my next talk,
which:will appear in the. next column of
this paper.
Faithfully yours,
". F. GWIN.
Vice President and General Manager,