The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1920-01-29
FARMERS WILL |NVEST|-
GATE WHEAT. MARKETING

A committee of - prominent Ore
gon wheat growers was appointed Sat
urday afternoon to investigate the
proposed cooperative wheat market
ing plan offered by the Washington
Wheat Growers Association through
Aaron Sapiro, attorney. Dr.. C. j.
Smith, of Portland heads the commit
tee.
The committee will meet at the
Umatilla county library Saturday,
February I, to investigate the project
from all angles, and probably deter
mine whether the farmers of this sec
ton care to adopt the plan already
being advanced in Washington and
idaho.
Antagonism is Shown.
Evidence of antag0nism between
the new movement and the Tri-State
Terminal company, in which loca,
men are interested, was shown by
heated debates between W. w. Har-
rah of Pendleton, formerly a director
of the defunct Farmers Union Grain
agency, and Sapiro. Harrah champ
ions the terminal company.
The afternoon session was devoted
largely to debate regarding the rela-
tive merits of the cooperative system
as offered by Sapiro and the other
marketing concerns, of a semi-coope-
rative nature.
Following the arguments Sapiro
asked that farmers in Oregon cOnsid-
er the plan advanced from all angles,
making haste neither to accept nor
reject the idea. He said that book
let's setting forth the entire plan will
shortly be mailed to all farmers Of
wheat in the Northwest.
Inquiry to be Made.
While features of the collective
marketing plan as applied to the Cal
ifornia fruit associations impressed
the few local growers present, there
was evidently a good amount of skep-
ticism regarding its working with
wheat. Prominent growers here to-
day declared they would require con-
siderable education before joining an
association which requires the pledge
OF their crop for six years. Frequent
failure Of former attempts along
these lines is declared responsible.
At the morning session Mr.. Sapiro
declared that cooperative selling has
been highly successful among fruit
growers of California and can be ap-
piled with equal success to the mar
keting of wheat in the three north
western states. Mr.. Sapiro outlined
points Of the California system and
debated with members present regar-
ding points at issue.
Want Crop for 6 Years.
Grain growers were asked to as
sign their crops for six years to this
proposed marketing association. A
committee of II is already at work in
Washington seeking farmers to sign
up. Sapiro said. and if rs per cent
up. Sapiro said, and if % per cent
of the wheat in Oregon, Washington
and Idaho can be obtained for the six
years organization will be effected.
n. B. Atkinson of Waitsburg presid-
ed.
The investigating committee,
which will meet here to decide fur
Their on the plan, was named by DR..
Smith, Senator Walter Pierce Of La
Grande and Lou Hodgen of Athena.
Their associates are: f. B. ingalls,,
Dufur; Herbert Egbert and G. F. Ad-
kinson, The Dalles; John Caseberg
and Will Powell, Wasco; w. D. Jack
son, Moro; A. W. Cannon and Chas.
Tull0ch, Olex; G. c. Clark, Airing
ton; r. w. Turner, e. NJ. Hulden and
William Campbell, Heppner; Carl
Engdahl, Helix; L. L. Rogers, Pendle'
ton; Frank Connolly, La Grande;
John Wills, Alicel; Albert Hunter, Is
land City; Henry Mckinney, Baker
and II. B. D%ayidhizer, Wallowa.
Among prominent grain men who
attended we're: N. B. Atkinson,
Waitsburg; J. D. Brown, ex-president
Of the Oregon-Idaho Farmers Union;
II. B. Davidhizer Of Joseph, director
Of the Farmers union; Senator Wal
ter Pierce Of La Grande, DR.. G. j.
Smith of Portland and Fred Bennion
county agent Of Umatilla county
Pendleton Z. 0.