Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-06-11
tanners
Cry Out
ForEielp
More Than $50 Berry
Hullers Must Work
or Fruit Will Spoil
and Growers Suffer


from Salem cannerymen this
afternoon.
Unless the people of Salem Of
fer their services in hulling the
great quantities of Strawberries at
present being thrust on local can
ming concerns, vast quantities or
the fruit will go to rot and ruin
and scores of growers, many OF
whom are hard pressed for money,
will be unable to dispose of their
crops at any price.
Declaring that the situation IS
very serious, managers requested
this afternoon that an appeal for
workers be made through the
newspapers.
"We have already advertised
for employees, one cannery man
ager said, "but there has been but
little response. Good wages are
being paid. A labor surplus is
said to exist in Salem. If anybody
is looking for a job, this is, his
opportunity"
Workers will be put on the JOB
Immediately, it was explained
and probably will be employed for
several days. 1t was estimated
that $50 persons are needed at the
present time.
Women can be used as well as
men in the hulling of berries.
One and one-half cents per pound
Is the average price paid for hull
lers, it is said.
Three of the four Salem pack
ing concerns are now concentrat-
ing their efforts on Strawberries
though only one is buying out
side of it's organization, and win
the crest of the strawberry season
still to come, the price down 10
az cents a pound to the grower,
and a labor shortage which Is
worrying all concerns, there Will
undoubtedly be some loss suffered
by the farmers before the season
is over.
The Oregon Packing company,
the only one taking berries from
growers outside its own organiza-
tion. started their strawberry
mack Yesterday and succeeded In
handling only rs crates due to
labor shortage. This amount Is
not half the capacity of the plant
which will undoubtedly be short
on its pack by the end of the sea-
son should the labor situation not
be relieved.
Hunt Brothers are packing
strawberries and expect to con-
tinue to do so until the end OF the
season, though they are confining
themselves to the produce OF their
stockholders.
The Salem Kings company did
NOT make a large pack of straw
berries this year, limiting the
amount handled to the production
of 30 acres which had been prev
iously contracted. The spinach
mack of this company will END
tuesday or Wednesday OF next
week and will aggregate rs tons,
the price, reported some time ago
Lofno can nor tom
Gooseberries have reached their
crest and the complete pack OF the
oregon Packing company the on
lv concern here which has dis
played any interest in the market
of the finished product, will be
finished by the middle OF next
week. The aggregate pack this
wear is $4,000 pounds, making an
average of 1900 pounds handled
per day by the present crew.
Some idea as to the price that
cherries will bring when they
reach the market was given today
bv the price paid by retail stores
To growers. which was six cents a
mound. This price is more than
100 per cent less than cherries
sold for at the beginning OF the
season last year. S. H. Van
Trump. county fruit inspector,
estimates that there are now 400
acres Of cherries in the county
which will produce this year an
average Of two tons to the acre.