Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-29
TRI- STATE CANNEES
Continued from page !

w. @. Hoffecker Of Smyrna. IN discuss
ing the committee question, incidentally
touched on the problem nf good seed
He said that the nefarOuS practice oi
some Canners, Of extraCtIng seed from
tomatoes that they knew were possibly
diseased. and deliberately selling them
tn farmers, must he stopped He said
that the falling ofI in quality of tomatoes
was to large extent due to this practice.
Mr.. Vogcl another member. asked if
q representative could find out if the
government would commander tomatoes
from Gamers Mt loss tn the packer He
said he had heard that the government
had stated that It could get
along without tomotoes thqt #
ship epacc was small there would
he very few Tomatoes sent across. b,it il
there was plenty of ship space the
shipments would he much larger
NIr stephens. IN opening the meeting,
after reviewing the incidents which led up
in Yesterday meeting. speaking Of rcprr-
ecntativos If the Army and Navy. s1id
Their attitude was not M all encouraging
tn canncrs who wanted to pay moro than
S2l fur Tomatoes. and their reasons for
wanting this To he the price were vrrv
good. il seemed to me Their strong
convince them that the price was unfair.
and according ~ the host evidence We
have TODAY, they have cnme mighty
near doing this very thing. through their
congressman. However AZ that tne
carlv IN March, there was no demand
icr Congressional interference and vrur
representatives wore there ~ soc i
there was any hope nf getting tho Nrmt
and NAVY tn rpce,lo from their uueitinn
W snon learned that there was none and
We started for hnme the Same day We
We're assured that i was reasonable to
suppose that any ranner OF manufacturer
of tomato products paving over s2l q
ton for Tomatoes would have ~ stand thc
loss himself and could not PASS It along
70 the consumer
4 have M Doubt he continued,
that quite few Tomatoes have boon
and are being contracted for at $40 ton
and quite naturally those who contracted
~ this price as faI back as the latter half
~ January and the earl, part of February
want everybody 10 rav this
price because n thov make = iosS thoy
want plenty of company
He read from 2 circular letter sent ort
hv a Chicago canning broker last Naf'lr
dav. which set forth that some California
canners. expecting an output ~ 5000
600 cases ar more in that State, have
fixed the following prices No z ~tHnd
ard California Tomatoes. Si45. rnast ~
lO. 81 80. coast
We have no guarantee. ho explain
cd. that $40 goods viii bo readily con
e,rmed even # We arc allowed - charge
! small profit based ~ 'hi7 price to the
grower. and certainly wc cannot hope to
soil Is long ae there are Sll. sIe and $40
Tomatoes to ne had 81 $40 for raw to
1natoee if Is doubtful whether three tins
can he retailcd for quarter and ertalnl>
not for loss II i is a fact that farmers
must have $40 ton for tomatNcs ~ the
Fri-rtates Ia show them q living profit
the consumer Is NOT interested IN that
phase of the situation - all nor are the
ARMY and NavV II the public thinks
the price extortionatc II will not use oar
goods
suppose thcrc Is hig crop and the
price for the raw product IS low and W.
are loaded M with $40 tomatoes on
contract Do 1ou suppose the food adj
mlnietration viii look with favor on our
cost and allow MS to sell our goods on
hat basis ] doubt # AMI as long as the
cheaper goods last the, wont have 80
allow i anyway. because the selling price
Will be below ON cost, and this might
easily last SIX months after the end Of the
pack. # We can hold out that long
Had we not better take what tomatoes
VIII be grown at S24 and S25 and come
cut even on thr pack than pay $50 and
lose s. on every tom How can We even
hone much lose expect To stav in tho
business and pay ~ 10 100 per cent more
i0r tomatoes than our competitors" Is
IL not fact that because Nc are at war we
are hopeful Of making profit out Of the
dire necessity OF our people and our
Allies for food and that NJ have not.givcn
due consideration to tho even greater risk
Of impaIrlng our capital and our credit
] wonder il We have given due considera-
ton To the probable difficulty OF financing
SO high a cost rs $50 tomatoes would mean
right when the government Is needing
jand If necessary will demandl billions
and billions of dollars to carry ou the
war