The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-05-17
FORCES MARSHALLED
TO FIGHT INCREASE

The apple growers of the Hood River
valley and adjacent mid Columbia fruit
districts are being marshalled to fight
the proposed Is per cent increase in
freight rates asked by the transcon-
tinental railway systems. In view of
the prevailing prices for fruit products
and the increased cost of labor and
materials used in the cultivation of
orchards, local growers have been
unanimous in the expression that the
proposed increase will be confiscatory
in many cases. 1t is stated that the
increase in freights on a crop such as
the Hood River valley shipped last sea.
son will cost growers total of ap-
proximately 500, 900.
Returning Saturday morning from a
conference of fruit district bankers,
shippers and growers held Friday at
Spokane, Truman Butler, who repre-
sented Hood River and White Salmon,
says:
lone point on which we spent a
good deal of time was whether it
would be best to send a large delega-
tion to Washington, including repre-
sentative growers and bankers from
the different districts, or to concen-
trate our efforts on assmaller delega-
tion. 1t was finally decided to work
through four men, two of whom are
now in Washington and two en- route.
These men are Mr.. Blaine, of the Pub
lie Service Commission of the state Of
Washington; j. Curtis Robinson, chair
man of the transportation committee
of the Fruit Growres' Agency; W. T.
Clark, well known grower of Wenat-
chez, and Frank Reaves, grower and
attorney Of Wenatchee.
''The date of our hearing before the
Commission has been set for May %,
80 time is the essence of the entire
matter, and the growers and those in
terested in the fruit industry are urged
to do everything in their power to as
sist in bringing this question favorably
before the Commission. We UNDER
stand, however, that the general hear
ing of the entire question of increased
freight rates is being delayed little
and in all probability any information
which reaches Washington within a
week of the date set will be in time.
Growers, however, are urged to act
before that date if possible. The most
important thing to be done is to get
growers themselves to write personal
letters to the following members of
the representation at Washington, and
particularly to those with whom they
may be personally acquainted The
Interstate Com merce Commission,
Washington, d. c.; the senators and
representatives of the districts in
which the growers reside; Chas. Brand,
chief of the Office of Markets, Wash
ington, D. c.; any members of the
committee, particularly W. T. Clark or
J. Curtis Robinson, care Raleigh Ho-
tel, Washington, d. c."
Mr.. Butler stated that the various
commercial organizations and clearing
houses of the Northwest will be asked
to send memorials to the Interstate
Commerce Commission. These organ
izations will also be asked to send let
ters to district officials of the railroads
of the Northwest.
at was particularly brought out at
our meeting" says Mr.. Butler, "that
the movement we have begun is not to
be construed as antagonistic to the
railroads. In fact there is quite little
information to show that the railroads
are very friendly to the fruit industry
and that the Northwestern officials
fully realize the difficulties that have
beenIencountered in the development
of this industry. They know that we
could hardly survive this increase, and
well informed men at the Spokane
meeting are hopeful that if the matter
is tactfully handled there is proba-
bility that the railroads themselves
would not make any hard fight against
the strong representation wescan make
to the Commission"
Local banks and growers are assist
ing in paying the expenses of Mr..
Clark and Mr.. Reaves, who have left
for Washington.