The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-03-29

all in favor Of the organized method. |
Up to the close of business December
81, 1916, there had been shipped
the EXCHANGE 2437 cars,
on which the EXCHANGE had re-
turned proceeds in full on 1881 cars, or
81 per cent of the total. The average
lapsed time between date of shipment
and date of full and final payment to
the shipper on the entire 1881 cars was
29 days. There could be no more con-
elusive evidence of the cash equivalent
Of the {. o. b. system.
Right here word of explanation is
in order: The EXCHANGE conducts
no pools. 1t handles each car as a
separate entirety, renting for each
car separately as fast as returns are
received. The local organizations,
however, conduct pools and if there
are 49 cars of a certain variety on
which complete returns are available,
and one car which has been exported
or otherwise the returns are delayed,
it is impossible for the organization to
close the pool and issue final state
ment until the fiftieth car is in. How
ever. the grower must remember that
he has been financed by his local or
ganization which has furnished him
with supplies, and in good many
cases has done the packing, and, in
certain cases, even the hauling, and
that he has, besides, been advanced in
cash from time to time up to within a
narrow margin of the total average of
his crop. Too many growers are ac-
customed to overlook all this and be-
cause they have not actually gotten
final statement take the position that
the pooling system is too long drawn
out. AS matter of fact, very seri-
Gus study is being made by managers
of all locals affiliated with the EX-
CHANGE of the question of pool con-
struction and pool management, all
with view of improving methods and
fastening the closing of pools in every
possible way consistent with good bus
mess.
The EXCHANGE started out this
year with the avowed intention of sell
ling the whole crop and cleaning up
the deal by the first of January. This
program was not only feasible but was
actually possible, and had the car and
labor shortage not occurred there is no
question but what every box would
have been sold and paid for on the
date set. These shortages were un-
avoidable. Even as tits, the improve
ment in the market in the past few
days gives warrant to the hope that
the remnants of the crop consisting
almost entirely of Winesaps) may be
converted into cash in the near future
aud the deal brought to an early close.
Meanwhile, pools on practically all Of
the early and intermediate varieties
either have been closed and dispersed
or are now in the process of distribu-
tion.
For next season, a very important
new service will be inaugurated by
the EXCHANGE. 1t will be CASH
SALES DEPARTMENT. The ma
chinery of the EXCHANGE through
out the markets will be employed to
induce as many buyers as possible to
send representatives to the Northwest
to uy-shipping point inspection and
acceptance. The EXCHANGE will
provide service for these buyers at
this end of the line. They will be
taken to the different packing houses
and shown the plants in operation and
sold as much as they can be induced to
buy by intelligent and aggressive
salesmanship. am strongly con-
vinced that if growers need profes-
sional service in dealing with the
absent buyer, they need it no less in
trading with the buyer on the ground.
The buyer is usually an accomplished
operator who knows all the tricks of
the trade and all the curves of the
game. That he is more expert than
the average grower or local organiza-
tion is evidenced in the great irregu-
larity in the prices paid and the terms
of sale.
Under next years arrangements we
are going to make SKOOKUM an open
market proposition, and and will be
able to sell the brand to cash buyers
and all who are willing to pay the
price. Il think it goes without saying
that any intelligent buyer will prefer
the SKOOKUM brand, as put up by
first class organization, to the unla-
beled, miscellaneous lots that he can
pick up from unattached growers In
short, then, the EXCHANGE being
fully in sympathy with the desire Of
growers to sell for cash or as nearly on
a cash basis as possible, will leave
nothing undone to promote this class of
business, and as it will render this SER
vice at a reduced service rate, the
growers who incline to the CASH
SALE sysetm can now line up with
the EXCHANGE affiliation with the
assurance that his interests will be
cared for in thoroughly dependable
manner. Thus, if the cash buyers
come to the Northwest next yeafor
any year, we'll and good. Nothing will
be left undone to sell them. On the
other hand, if they don't come, the
growers, instead of being left in most
uncomfortable and dangerous predica.
ment, will have the benefit of world
wide marketing service. Meanwhile,
the work of ADVERTISING and
MARKET DEVELOPMENT goes on.
The next chapter will explain the
working relation between the local
growers organization and the EX-
CHANGE.
Faithfully yours,
w r CWIN