The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-01-18
Money Talks
TO
Fruit Growers
BY
Northwestern Fruit Exchange
No. 3...WhO?
TO FRUIT GROWERS:

TO FRUIT GROWERS:
In my last talk told you how
happened to get into the fruit business
and of my first trip to the Northwest
In 1909. Well, the first place | struck
was the Rogue River Valley, and there
! met a number of prominent fruit
growers and made contracts with some
of them to market their fruit, but
was greatly impressed with the fever
ish speculation IN orchard lands in
which nearly everybody seemed to be
engaged. To one coming in from the
outside the game looked more like a
land speculation than serious produe-
ing industry. Furthermore, Rogue
River seemed to be completely sb-
sorbed in Rogue River and knew little
and cared less about what was going
on In Hood River, Yakima, Wenatchee,
Walla Walla and all the rest of the
districts that were being set to orch
ards at tremendous rate. Going on
to Hood River, ! found them equally
absorbed in their own game and the
same with Yakima and Wenatchee and
all others. Nobody seemed to have
any fears about the future; everybody
seemed to think that the future would
take care of itself. Not everybody,
but nearly everybody. There were a
few of the longest-headed. farthest-
sighted men among the growers who
admitted that they could plainly fore
see time when the disposal of the
crops would constitute very serious
problem. Up to that time, of course,
the production had been so small that
it practically could be cornered by a
few large spectators, who. having
control of the supply. could afford to
pay fancy prices and be sure OF fancy
profits for themselves. But q few
minutes sober thought on the part of
anyone would have shown them that as
soon as the crop reached a point in
production too large to permit of its
cornering. the speculation would dis.
appear and il would then be a matter
of straight-out salesmanship and mer-
chandising. Furthermore. the machin-
cry required for selling the product
would have to be unusually comprehen-
sive and the skill required unusually
great, as our products are among the
most competitive of all lines. being
produced in some quantity or quality
in about every state in the Union and
every country in the temperate zones
on earth,
Nevertheless, seeing these things
then as plainly as do now. respond
ed to the optimism and spirit of the
Northwest. bought piece of orchard
land $50 acres) and made up my mind
to come cut, cast in my lot with the
industry and help work out some of its
problems. And, with this determine.
tion, ] went back to Pittsburgh and
offered my resignation to the firm.
My work for the firm had thrown me
in contact mostly with Mr.. Crutchfield.
though both partners are extremely
high-class. honorable business men.
But even then, Mr.. Crutchfield had be-
gun to take a very high position in the
fruit world and had accomplished some
notable achievements. He was one Of
the men who helped get the banana
business out of the awful slough into
which IL had fallen and to put it on a
sound business basis through the or
ganization Of the UNITED FRUIT
COMPANY. When that company was
organized, the banana business was in
an apparently hopeless situation; con-
sumption of bananas was confined to
the Atlantic seaboard territory and ev.
erybody-gro importers. jobbers
all were losing money and were dis.
couraged and ready to quit. Today the
banana industry is on so sound basis
that conservative bankers and brokers
In New England recommend the aecur-
tiles as investment for tIust funds and
the business has grown until about
lbs, 900 carloads of bananas are used 10
the United States annually, besides
huge quantities in Europe in normal
times. Besides this connection Mr..
Crutchfeld was head of the company
in Pittsburg that sold most of the de-
ciduous aud citrus fruits from Califor.
mia, Florida, etc.. was connected with
q number of financial and philanthropic
institutions and had already taken his
place as a leader.
As | say. resigned, but instead of
accepting my resignation. Mr.. Crutch.
field proposed that We put into effect