The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1921-04-09
Dr.. /. G. Lewis,
Walsh To

Committee of the Pacific Rice
Growers Association.
This will give you pretty clear
idea of how the rice situation has
been taken care of in California.
| | was called away very hurriedly
from the South and did not have
time to consult with you or your
committee, but on my return
here, have received good reports,
to the effect that you were work
ing along lines you had outlined
when left.
To my mind, the Arkansas sit
uation seems to be real serious
one and, as matter of suggestion
| would advise, if possible, that
your committee, in some way, get
in touch with the people at that
end.
In looking over the facts as they
appeared to me, it strikes me, very
strongly, that one of the great ne
ceSSitieS of the rice industry, both
in Louisiana and California, is
the affecting of a sales organiza-
ton, not such an organization as
we have had in the past, which
meant that we would hold our
rice until such time as the market
forced the price up, but an organi-
cation composed of real statesmen,
in most cases, selling on COM
mission basis, whose endeavor
would be to get out among the
people and through salesmanship,
impress the wholesalers and re-
tailerS and, ultimately, the con-
SumerS, of the great value of rice
as a food commodity, thereby in
creaSing the consumption. From
what | can see, this situation has
been very loosely handled by the
mills. They have waited until an
order has come to them instead
of having people to go after the
order. Likewise, their selling or
ganization has been loosely ham
died, from the fact that one mill
would compete against another in
the selling of the rice. In other
words, if a large size order came
in and two or more mills had a
supply of rice on hand, in order
to move the rice they would cut
prices, therefore playing into the
buyers hands.
We, in California, will undoubt-
ly, perfect some such an organi-
cation this coming season, but it
appears strong to me that if a ma
tional organization could be work
ed out, it would be of great bene-
fit to the industry. | wish to state
that should anything along this
line come up and should desire
The presence of myself or anybody
else from the Coast in your coun.
Try, we would be glad to make the
trip and see if something could be
done towards affecting some con-
Structive channel and working out
our difficulties. would be very
glad to hear from you and get an
idea as to how matters are pro-
crossing in your locality, together
with any ideas you may have on
the subject for the general good of
the industry.
We have been SO extremely
busy in working out the details
of our sales, that we have not as
yet, taken up many of the ideas
which have been suggested. We,
however, contemplate very short
ly the taking up of the matter of
a California Rice Day. This will
be taken up something on the
lines of the Memphis rice day and
| would not be surprised but what
we would get the same results as
they obtained in Memphis. MyI
idea on this subject is that Ma
tional rice day, approved by the
Federal Government and, in most
cases. by the State Government
would be of great help to us. One
thing it might do would be to
force the average retailer outside
the immediate rice belt to reduce
the price of rice to his consumer,
so that the consumer would get
the benefit of the cheapness of
rice as a food product. ] under
stand that in some places UP north
they are still charging as high as
Is cents a pound for clean rice.
| assure you that California is
very much interested in your sit
uation and hopes that something
constructive can be worked out.
Should you hear Of any Cali
fornia rice being shipped into,