The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-07-27
COOPERATIVE ASSOCI-
ATOMS ARE URGED
(From The Western Fruit Jobber)

Hon. Sydney Anderson, chairman
the joint commission which conductt
the agricultural inquiry, outlines Il
results of investigation of sever
phases of the general subject, in til
following synopsis:
In the first place, our investigatio
pretty thoroughly disposes of the cor
stantly recurring popular myth abou
wanton destruction of perishable pre-
duce in order to boost the price.
In almost every city of size tn
rumor starts every now and then tina
the produce men are throwing ava
fruits and vegetables when the mar
ket is glutted. So far as the commits
sion has been able to determine, ther
is no ground for believing that sucI
wilful destruction has occurred. Occa
sionally these commodities arrive il
the market frozen, decayed or other
wise in an inedible condition. Ship
ments are sometimes dumped by loca
boards of health as unfit for human
consumption. The destruction Of these
shipments is sometimes the cause oi
the rumors mentioned.
1.-The movement of fruits and vege-
ables has increased about fourfold in
the last twenty years, and most of the
terminal markets have long since out
grown their facilities. Chicago fur
nishes conspicuous example of how
things ought not to be done. Some 27
! trunk line railroads and several boat
lines pour in the fruit and vegetable
supplies for nearly 1900, 900 people,
These are chiefly sold in a section of
five or six city blocks on a narrow
thoroughfare.
''This market is wholly inadequate
in size, but the worst feature of the
situation is its location at distance
of from two to four blocks from prin-
cipal rail and water terminals. Most
of the fruits and vegetables must be
handled by wagon or motor trucks over
rough streets through the most con-
gested portion of the city. None of
this carting or rehandling adds in any
way to the value of the product, but it
does add materially to the cost of dis
tributiOn.
"At this market fruits and veg
etables must be unloaded, and then
reloaded and are frequently backhauled
over the same routes by the dealer
purchasers. No inconsiderable portion
is actually carted back to the same
railroad yard or depot from which it
was taken to 1.-The wholesale market. |
mere relocation of Chicago's |
wholesale district will not materially |
help its unfortunate situation. The |
,ity's great need is a wholesale rail-
road terminal for fruits and vegetables
20 which all carriers would have access
and about which sufficiently commodi-
)us wholesale district could be estab-
ished.
In New York the greatest need is
or a unification of docks. These
hould be as closely contiguous as pos
ible in order to centralize and unity
he wholesale district, and there might
e an advantage in setting aside
pecial docks for the handling Of given
ines of produce.
Pittsburgh is more fortunate with
espect to terminal facilities for fruits
nd vegetables than most American
tiles 1t shows the advantage of CEN
ralizing the wholesale market about
ngle terminal, with consequent elm
lation of carriage and rehandling."
The report will show that two funda-
lentally different principles govern
ne price to the producer First, the
Nv of supply and demand, and, Sec
nd, the principle of fixed charges.
he sale price of fruits and vegetables
! determined by the relation of supply
nd demand, rather than by cost of
The growers returns are
rgely determined by the wholesale !
rice, which is fluctuating factor.
Out of the fluctuating wholesale
rice there are certain fixed charges in I
such as freight, storage, i
Irtage. interest, insurance, and the o
charge of labor, all of which n
ust be paid before the producer gets I
lything or before the wholesale dis c
ibutor can be paid for his services,
gets his money back on goods pur- e
ased. )
Changes in cost of distribution up 9
the time goods are sold at wholesale y
e largely reflected in the producers b
t return. For example, increased e
charges, in the first in a
ance at least, are largely borne by
since production of fruits Il
d vegetables, particularly tree fruits, G
mot be quickly regulated to meet P
W conditions. Once produced, the =
op will probably be sent TO market al
en- if the returns will yield only ~
tie more than the costs.of distribu- =
}. including transportation, ETC., and II
of cost of production. u
Cooperative handling and market K
Z associations exist in many parts of "a
E country. This method is more
mmon in the west than in the east. ~
.treme distance from market and the Is
Dblems of rapidly increasing produc- Ie
N have been important influences in n
2 development of cooperation in the be
st. The community packing house, OF
md in some districts, is a develop ar
mt of cooperative marketing among On
lit and vegetable growers. Once WI
AIDED and packed, the output of CO.
rative organizations is usually dis an
ied of through the wholesale and re- WI
] channels which are described in the tl'
report
The practice of pooling has devel- =,
ID 10 a certain extent in cooperative III
rketing. Under this arrangement ~
Dwers contribute TO a pool in which
identity Of the individual growers
duct is lost and each contributor
Gives a pro rata share Of the total
urn Of the pool. Uniformity in the
llity of the product in each pool is col
essary to the successful operation Of 30
h system; otherwise the poor pro- sec
( will bring down the price Of the an
d and result in dissatisfaction among pa
mbeTs las
The commission found a noticeable wa
elopment in the improvement in aft
des and standards in the fruit and Go
etable industry. but much progress
still be made. There is need for mi
ater Standardization Of containers me
for more uniformity in grades. bia
te and federal authorities, acting OH
the advice and cooperation Of in tioI
.sted parties, should establish and pro
ntain standard grades and standard pas