The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1919-12-18
UNION VOTES
TO SUPPORT
ITS DIRECTORS
Membership of Kennewick- Rich
land Marketing Union APP
proves Davis Deal
HARMONY AT ANNUAL MEET
Plan to Enlarge Scope of Organization
and Buy Warehouse Meets with
.. General Approval

That the membership of the Kenne-
wick-Richland Marketing Union is sol
idly back Of the directors plan Of en-
larging the scope of the Union and
providing warehouse facilities and if
possible cold storage plant, was in
dicated at the annual meeting Tues
day when the thirty or more members
present, with one exception, voted to
endorse the directors action in nego-
tiating the purchase of the warehouse
of the Davis Fruit company.
While the question of the Unions
branching out as an agency for mar
keting tree fruits was not directly put
to the meeting, the membership really
placed itself on record in favor Of the
enlargement plan in voicing its ap-
prval Of the Davis deal. The board of
directors recently took an option on
the Davis warehouse with the under
standing that the purchase was to be
completed January /. Following Tues
days meeting Mr.. Davis said that the
deal is as good as completed now, but
that owing to weather conditions it
would be impossible for him to clear
the house and give the Union posses
sion before February /.
An unanimity of opinion was char
acteristic of the entire proceedings.
General satisfaction was expressed
with the results of this years market
ing operations. In making his annual
report Manager F. HI. Krug explained
that higher wages and increased
costs Of supplies, together with
light crop of Strawberries, had ne
cessitated an increase in the per pack
age handling charge. This necessary
increase, he said, very clearly pointed
the way for the Unions future. Be-
cause of steadily decreasing berry
acreage the Union must either go out
of business or take on other crops.
His report showed that with the
three crops handled this year, the I'm
ion sold a total of 56,011 packages for
a total of $101, ,051.12, as follows:
Asparagus 1854 crates sold for $10,-
817.88; Strawberries 14,68s crates sold
for 27,677.34; Gull berries, 1916 his
sold for S1671.60; potatoes 1878
crates and sacks, sold for $30,8S4.30.
The seasons average return on these.
three crops is as follows: asparagus,
$1.22 crate gross, SLIP net to the
grower; strawberries, 1898 a. crate
gross, $500 net; potatoes, $48.S0 per
ton gross, $4,000 net. The growers
consider these returns very satisfac-
tory.
The annual election resulted in the
election of /. S. Gleason, George An
derson and John Storland, directors
from Kennewick and Carl Willis, ]. K.
Mowery and j. A. Nicholaus from
Richland. In accordance to the by
laws these directors met and selected
w. A. Linn as fourth director from
Kennewick and Geo. w. Snow as the
fourth from Richland and Ole Brue
as president of the Union.
All of the newly elected directors
are successful growers and Mr.. Brue
lis not only one of the most successful
farmers of the Kennewick- -Richland
district but as field man for the Union
during the past season he became tho
roly familiar with workings of the or
ganization and the possibilities for
enlarging its scope and increasing its
tonnage.
The new board, assisted by Mr.. Krug
expect to speed up the campaign be-
gun some time ago to finance the ware
house proposition. This is to be done
by the sale of second mortgage bonds
to the growers. Mr.. Krug said today
that enough subscriptions had already
been secured to assure the success Of
the warehousing proposition and as
yet the canvass has not been carried
on extensively thruout the district.
Mr.. Krug explained that the present
campaign is in no sense a membership
campaign. Subscription to the bond
issue does not enroll the subscriber as
member of the Union nor bind him
to market his products to it. Nor is
it required of members that they be-
come subscribers to the bond issue.