The Mena weekly star., 1921-03-03
CANNING FACTORY
 IS ASSURED
Roosine Meeting Held Saturday Ar isrnoDn af Commercial Club As Srres Tomato Acreage-Air. Mott
 er Is Experienced Man.

That Mena is to haze q canning fac
 tory was definitely decided at meet
 me held at the Commercial Club of
 flee Saturday afternoon which was att
 tended by between s5 and 40 farmers
 and others interested in the proposi-
 ton. ]. D. Molter and R. Golf, the
 prime movers in the undertaking, were
 on hand to outline the plan of oper-
 atlon and to set forth the part to be
 taken in the movement by the grow
 CTS. The result was that before the meeting was over 2l acres of tona-
 toes were pledged to be grown for the
 factory. fen more have been subscribed since then. and before the end of the week it looks like the acreage would
 go to 50,
 This movement is of interest not only to thc farmers in the immediate lcommunity of Mena, but is also en-
 aging the attention Of farmers abuot Hatfield and Cove. " l. Mcfarland,
 secretary of the recently organized Hatfield Products and Cooperative Association, in letter Co Mr. Molter after reading about the canning fac tory in The Star of last week, writes among other things: Interested We'll, l should say we are, and to the | fullest extent f 1t is high time that the farmers of Polk county are
 considering the planting of crops oth- CT than cotton, and too, while they are thinking these things it is high time l that we should get away from this
 two-inch blowing and go down deep CT" Then he adds: "We are con- | plating upon putting in several acres of tomatoes. and if there is any chance that we can market same thru your CO., operation, it will mean something good to all of we concerned" George l.. l.atimer, Cove, Route l, writes to the secretary of the Commercial Club that he intends to truck farm, and sug- gests that if the price suits he could ship tomatoes from Vandervoort to
 the Mena cannery.
 This project is being stated without any effort to organize a stock com pany or without asking concessions | from the city in the way of. site, water privileges or other lifts from i the city, the financial side being en-
 tirely care for by J, D. Molter and k. i6ff, The former, who already has a small plant, will increase his equip ment proportionate to the acreage that will be pledged He will increase his force also and operate the plant. Mir. Golf, of the Golf Wholesale Grocery
 company. will supply the capital to
 buy the cans, labels and other neeessi-
 ties, and he will handle the finished product, thus assuring market as far as the cannery is concerned.
 While at the beginning tomatoes will be the major crop to be canned,
 he promoters give the assurance that
 they will handle all fruits and berries, and f market conditions warrant they will also handle string beans, cabbage,
 swcetpotatoes and other vegetables
 in fact, the plan is to make the pro- feet a permanent institution, and in
 time increase the equipment and force to make it a plant which will handle any cannable product and which J will compare favorably with amy other | up-to-date canning factory.
 1 The proposition made by Mr. Molter to the growers in brief is as follows.
 He will furnish the seed, saw the lum- ber for crates or cise furnish crate material ready to be assembled at the
 rate of 25 cents per crate; he will buy 1 all sound ripe merchantable tomatoes not less than E inches iii diamenter
 and pay at the rate of 25 cents per bushel, payment to be made on the 10th of each month following delivery. 1 The growers are to enter individually into contract to grow specified acre age, to deliver the products exclusive | ly to the cannery under such condi- tions and at such times as specifically provided in the contract, f sales are made to others than eannery
 the growers is to forfeit th proceeds
 of said sales to the cannery. In case Of destruction of the cannery by fire or other clements or in case of some oth- CT unavoidable disability of the plant, Mr. Molter agrees to compensate the
 rowers for all labor and other ex- penses incurred i-- producing the crop.
 Blank growers contracts are now
 being printed and when completed may
 he inspected and signed either thru air Molter or at the Commercial Club eiice Also, if there are farmers or
 tacrs desiring further information they may obtain same by seeing either
 Messrs Molter or Golf or the secre- tary of the Commercial Club.
 One fine thing about this undertak-
 ing is that the promoters are home
 people, interested with the rest of us
 in the fullest development of Polk county and in bringing to pass the
 time when this will be a great truck
 and fruit producing country for which 1t seems by nature ideally adapted,
 and then if added to this will be de- velopment of the poultry and dairy in-