Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-02-16
POTATO GROWERS
TO MEET TUESDAY
Manager Of Starch Factory
Will Make Proposition
at That Time

For several years the potato growers
of the Willamette Valley in genera
and of Marion and Polk counties il
particular, have met with many dis
couragements; to such an extent tina,
the industry is in such a condition .th...
it does not bring much, if any, profit
to the grower and in mary instances
bringing almost unsurmountable Oh
stacles to the shipper.
There are, of course, many things
that have brought about these eondi
tions, some at least which can be over.
c Jmt at orce, and the writer is optinis
tic enough to believe that all can he
cor. oiled in time by proper methods
aad desc attention on the part of tht
g"oNer 1t seems the one thing that
has caused most of this discouragement
to the grower is the loss of the outside
markets to other localities. The writer
is not prepared to tell just what the
immediate cause of losing this market
is, but there is no difficulty in any
one seeing why we are not regain1ne
that market, viz: the lack of proper
grading and shipping methods. There
are undoubtedly many reasons for los
ing the market among them may be
lack of cooperation anG organization
on the part of the growers, lack of CO.
operation of buyer and grower, But
let us as growers not lose sight of the
fact that we must grow a uniform
variety of potato and pack and grade
that variety in clean, uniform sacks
and to a standard grade that can al
ways be depended on. There can be
no question but what we can grow as
fine a quality of potato as is grown on
the coast. Neither can there be any
doubt but we can secure the highest
price in the market for those potatoes,
provided the market can absolutely
depend on our pack
For several months the writer, with
several other growers, have been look
ing into the market requirements of
the potato, pertaining to variety, pack
and ways of handling, etc. While in
all our investigations we have found
we can always sell fancy potato pro-
viding we can get them in large
enough quantities, we have met with a
very serious question; What shall we
do with our culls7 just recently we
have met with a proposition of a potato
starch factory and its by-products,
which are many.
Mr.. J. F. Griffith, Vice-president and
Manager of the Pacific Potato Starch
Company, of Portland, will address the
Potato Growers, Tuesday, February
10Th, 1918, at 1870 p. m. in the audi
torium of the Commercial Club rooms
of Salem.
Mr.. Griffith will present to the
growers proposition whereby he will
take care of all our Gull potatoes. This
is an important matter to the potato
grower and 1 hope every man who
grows potatoes will make a special eff
fort to be present and let US investi-
gate this proposition. If this PROPOSE
tion is acceptable it will get us over
the big thing in our way of assuring
ourselves and the potato trade of al
ways putting up an A. No. l grade of
potatoes. If we are always sure of our
pack the potato industry will redeem
itself in this community and place it.
self on a par with the other industries
of the Valley where it rightfully be-
longs.
w. G. FRANKLIN,
Secretary, Marion Co. Potato
Growers Association.