The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-05-31
FRUIT IS FOOD
SAYS HOOVER
APPLES TO BE MOVED TO MARKET
Ruling Brings General Rejoicing to Grow
erS Of the Hood River Valley
Agency Interest Stimulated

oShSAui tSJoiSh6 PhSRoiiSt AZ aAVSsA
River last Friday over the announce
ment of Herbert c. Hoover, United
States food administrator. that fruit is
food and must be transported by the
railway companies. Mature sales
agency off Gals and growers known for
the normal dignity of their bearing
tossed their hats into the air and
cheered in expression of relief to their
feelings of anxiety for the past several
days. The news brought a relaxation
among all local business interests, who
feared possible panic might result in
fruit districts in case the community s
products were refused distribution.
The ruling of Mr.. Hoover and Secre-
tary of Agriculture Houston has given
new stimulus to the Fruit Growers
Agency, central organization of all
Northwestern fruit interests formed
last year under government supervi-
sion, with headquarters at Spokane.
While the Apple Growers Association
was one of the original subscribers to
the Agency, it withdrew last year on
the grounds of the inefficiency of the
Agency. Today the Agency has no
stronger supporters than Association
officials.
eff the Fruit Growers Agency had
never accomplished anything else, "
says C. W. McCullagh, "it has earned
the support of all Northwestern fruit
growers by its active participation in
this event, one of the most vital that
has ever confronted the Northwestern
fruit industry. The Agency may have
made mistakes and it may not have ac-
complished all that was predicted for
it, but 1t was instrumental in securing
for US this classification that desig-
mates apples as food. For the con-
sideration and acceptance of our views
in this matter, Mr.. Hoover and Secre-
tary Houston should be extended a
vote of thanks of all Northwestern
apple men.
Kenneth Mckay declared that moth
ing of more Importance had ever hap
pened to fruit growers of the North
west. Mr.. McKay's central agency,
the Northwestern Fruit Exchange,
took an active part in the work of pre-
senting the plea of growers at Wash
ington. j. Curtis Robinson, traffic
manager of the Exchange, was one of
the representatives of the Agency at
Washington. Last week w. F. Gwin,
general manager of the Exchange.
sent out letters to all his affiliations
urging the Importance of their cooper
alton in the matter. Mr.. Gwin also
pointed out the necessity of close sup
port of the Agency.
In his letter Mr.. Gwin said in part:
The entrance of the United States
into the war creates number of new
and very grave issues in the business
of fruit production and distribution of
this country and particularly of the
Northwest. Of these issues, the fun
damental one is classification of fresh
fruits either as luxury or as staple
food product. The matter as yet is
undetermined, and judgment of the
authorities at Washington has not yet
been passed. Many rumors are in the
air. Already there are rumors to the
effect that fruit will be classed as a
luxury, in which event all the process
es of production, harvesting, transpor-
tation and marketing would be pro-
foundly prejudiced. Labor in the
orchards, warehouses and offices would,
in that event, be subject to military
conscription, and the already indequate
supply would be subject to depletion
to the point of extreme peril.
Furthermore, the car supply, al
ready indequate, would be still further
reduced through the diversion of
equipment to the transportation of
commodities classified by the govern
ment as necessary to the national well
fare.
The psychological effect on the
American public of the classification
of fruit as a luxury would be most
adverse, as the American public will
unquestionably be sensitive to advice,
either direct or implied, concerning all
matters of food economics. An entire
train of evil consequences including
those mentioned, would result, to the
embarrassment and encouragement of
the fruit industry, and perhaps it is
not too much to say would result in
wholesale ruination to weaker districts
and individuals
Frank Reeves and W. T. Clark, of
Wenatchee, representing the apple
growers of the Northwest, laid before
Senator Poindexter the notice served
on the apple growers by the Northern
Pacific Railroad. to the effect that
cars would not be furnished for the
movement of apples next fall and win
ter, as apples are regarded by the rail
road as luxuries and not necessities.
The railroad said all available cars
would be required for more important
food products.
Senator Poindexter, accompanied by
the two apple men, called on MIR. Hoo
yer and on Secretary Houston, laid be-
fore them the situation which had
arisen, and received positive assurance
that the railroad dictum would not
stand.
1t developed at the conference that
Mr.. Hoover spent his boyhood on an
apple orchard at Newberg, Ore, and
has an intimate knowledge of the fruit
situation in the Northwest.
Furthermore, Mr.. Hoover said that
apples constitute highly important ar
ticle of diet, more importantsseven than
potatoes, and especially in time of
war. He explained that much of the
suffering among the people of Belgium,
among whom he worked so long, was
due not so much to the fact that they
had insufficient food but to the fact
that they could get no fruit.
Both Mr.. Hoover and Secretary
Houston gave positive assurance that
the Northwest fruit crop would be
moved, and as they, under pending
legislation, will have absolute direc-
tion of crop movements, their say in
the matter is final, and will override
any arbitrary regulations set up by the
railroad.
The news brought relief to local
bankers, who had subscribed for blocks
of Liberty War tonds aggregating
$50, 600, but who reported Thursday
that individual subscriptions had prac-
tically ceased, growers fearing their
inability to participate in the issue.
4 l.