Imperial Valley press., 1921-05-12
WAITE WILL
SUPERVISE
SHIPMENT
MELONS
Cantaloupe Growers Per-
fecting Organization for
Systematic Distribution of
Valleys Crop.-Big Pro-
ducer Will Go 1t Alone.

With the future as regards railroad
rates Still up in the air and no definite
information as to shipping conditions
the cantaloupe growers are actively
engaged in preparing for the shipping
season land with that straight ahead"
and "never-say-die" spirit are getting
ready to sell cantaloupes to the best
advantage possible.
Association growers are perhaps in
better shape insofar as marketing con-
ditions are concerned E1an the inde-
pendent shipper it is believed but by
all possible means that can be found
the melon man is going to get rid of
his crop at a profit if possible, and at
least at cost to himself.
The recent meeting of the growers,
distributors and railroad E.en arranged
all of the preliminaries of the forth
coming season lad the meeting was
something of get-together love feast
and jollification on the principle that
it was no use crying ovcr what can't
be helped.
Inspection of course, was one of the
chief problems of discussion by the
meeting and it was announced that
w. S. Fawcett, one of the largest in
dividual growers in the valley, would
not be in the pool this year. Horticul-
tural Commissioner F. w. Waite ex-
planned that Fawcett owns his own
land, pays his own men by the day,
does his own inspection and handles
his own business and that the inspect
ors frequently upset his plans. Sew
eral expressions from shippers rather
berated the policy. e. ". Cuff said
that he could see the face of a Young
man before him who "upset" his plans,
too, last year but that in the end it was
a good thing. He rather though in
spection would be mighty good thing
for Mr.. Fawcett and Mr.. Waite prom
ised that the Fawcett shipments will
be carefully inspected even though
there is no contribution to pay the
inspectors.
1t was finally agreed that the ship
pers should pay Is csn.s per acre thi1
year as against 25c last year. The
salaries of inspectors being reduced
from $40 to $3.50 means that the ship
pers reduce their share of payments
from $5 per day to $3.50 each. The
county pays the remaining So per day
ana also pays 10 cents a mile auto
travel expense and furnishes the auto.
Two supervising committees will
have charge of the employment of all
inspectors this year with +. w. Waite
an ex-officio chairman of both COM
mittees. There will be one COMMITTEES
OF three from the north end and one
from the south end, the members to be
named by Waite.
The cantaloupe crop is the greatest
advertising Imperial Valley has,"d e.
clared Mr.. Waite during one Of the
discussions. ut tells the whole east
ern country of our wonderful produc-
tlvity and early markets. You gentle
men can't afford to let it go be gging."
Referring to the refusal this year
to permit repacks it was the consensus
OF opinion that few examples would
have good effect. The rejection Of
bad melons and placing them in the
sun so that passers rnxy see them is
deemed suitable and appropriate way
to prevent future troubles. Last year
1t was permissible to repack crates OF
rejected melons, the shipper picking
out the good ones and carting off the
bad ones. That will not be permitted
this year because Of the abuses Of last.