The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1919-03-13
PLANS MADE
FOR MARKETING
STRAWBERRIES
Robinson Company will Distrib.
ute East and Ariss, Camp
bell & Gault West
HANDLING CHARGE is CUT
Manager F. II. Krug Expects to Save
Berry Growers Five Cents a
Crate This Year

Final plans for marketing thi
years crop of Strawberries, asparagus
and early potatoes were made Tues
day evening at meeting of the boare
Of directors of the Kennewick- Rich
land Marketing Union.
Trade agreements which f. II
Krug, local manager, tentatively en-.
tered for handling this years cror
were authoritatively approved by the
board. As stated in last weeks Cour-
ier-R Reporter, the berries this year will
be handled by the C. H. Robinson
company in all markets east of Ken
newick. A similar trade agreement
has been made with Ariss, Campbell
& Gault, of Seattle, for all markets
west of Kennewick.
By these agreements members of
the board are of the opinion that they
viii obtain the best possible distribu-
ton in markets both east and west
and will eliminate one middleman and
consequently reduce the cost of dis
tribution. Both of the firms are
among the strongest in the North
west and thoroly equipped to insure
good distribution in their respective
territories. They will handle the ber-
ries on affixed brokerage charge and
the Union is not bound by contract to
continue to distribute thru them if re-
suits are not satisfactory.
The Union will operate this year as
nearly on cash basis as possible.
Settlements with jobbers will be made
each weekend and pools closed and
complete returns made to the growers
as quickly thereafter as possible. 1t
is agreed between the Union and the
brokers that any firm which fails to
90 business on weekly cash basis
is to be cut off the list.
The handling charge this year will
be 15 cents crate instead of 20 as
last year. This will be the only de-
duction made from the gross returns
with the exception of the one per cent
which goes into the revolving fund.
Mr.. krug plans to make material re-
ductions in the overhead expenses by
cutting down the number of Office en-
ployes, warehousemen and field inspec-
tors. This he says can be done by
simplifying the accounting methods
and doing more warehouse inspection.
The handling charge for asparagus
TINS year will be the same as last, 10
cents per crate. The grass, however,
Will be marketed in two grades and the
new two-compartment shallow crate
will be used.
Inc flrst car of grass crates is ex-
pected the last of this week or the
nrst Of next and growers are urged
70 take their crates out of the car if
possible. A price of 8 cents a crate
wlil be made if the crates are taken
.rom the car and 9 cents out of the
warehouse. The Union has rented the !
west half of the Pacific Fruit & Pro-
uuce building ON Front street and or /
GERS for crstes may be placed now at
any time.
Mr. krug says the strawberry acre
age this year is less than last, but that
WIN one or two exceptions the patches
are IN better condition and the out
.ook Tor an exceptionally good yield
= excellent. He estimates this years
acreage at 18O as against 225 last
year. the largest percentage of de-
.rease being in the Richland district.
"hlie the Union has lost in total |
acreage its percentage of the entire
acreage has increased rather than de-
leased as several new members have
0een signed up.