The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1922-12-07
Three Rivers Members
Vote Four to One for
Selling Own Crop
BIG "Y" ALSO TO
HANDLE BERRIES
Sentiment Strong Against
Selling Contracts with
Local Concerns

Members of the Three Rivers
Growers association al their an
nual meeting Monday voted, four
to one to sever all local connec-
tions with existing selling agencies
and to go it alone with their own
manager. While the final decision
of how next years crops are to
be marketed is left to the board
of trustees Mondays test vote was
recorded for the guidance of the
board.
The crops of the association this
year were-handled upon per pack
age basis by Blalock's, of which
Paul HI. Weyrauch is general man.
ager and Lee NJ. Lampson, local
assistant manager. Mr.. Weyrauch
was present at the growers meet
ing and submitted detailed report
of this years transactions and bid
for a selling agreement for next
year.
While no criticisms were voiced
as to the manner in which Blalacks
handled this years deal or Of the
prices obtained for the strawber-
ries and asparagus, sentiment
among the growers is strong for
building selling organization Of
their own. Proponents of the in
dependent idea argue that the col
leetive assembling of crops and
turning them over to another To-
cal agency for sale is not really
cooperative marketing, and a CO.
operative association cannot be
built except thru its own sales
organization.
H.@W. Desgranges, local man
ager of the Yakima Valley Fruit
Growers association addressed the
meeting. He said inasmuch as his
organization was truly cooperative
and operated on a basis of handling
its members products at cost, it
refused again to bid upon the
Three Rivers crops on the same
basis as private selling agencies.
He called attention to the fact that
a number of the Big Y members
are also members of the Three
Rivers association ard he offered,
to handle the Three Rivers crops
at cost. This plan, however, would
mean that al Of the Three Rivers
members become members of the
Big Y association.
These propositions brought on a
discussion. An effort to place the
members on record as between an
independent organization, BIalocks
and the Big Y failed. The ques-
tion as it was finally submitted TO
the meeting was for and against
an independent selling organiza-
tion and the vote was "a for and
IL against. The question of Sc
lecting manager and working
out details of the selling organiza-
tion was left to the board of
trustees.
That the Yakima Valley asso-
citation intends to handle at least
strawberries next year is indicated
by the following statement made
by Mr.. Desgranges after the meet
ing: ''I had hoped that the straw
berry growers would all get to-
gether," he said. As an induce
ment / placed our entire institu-
tion at their service to be operated
at cost. Their action today makes
our duty plain. We shall look at
ter the interests of the Big Y
growers and let those who wish.
continue to experiment. Simply
assembling crops and turning them
over to commission merchants to
play with does not promote coop
erative marketing"
Mr.. Desgranges said it is not the
intention of his association TO
force its members to deliver their
strawberries to it but they viii
handle the berries Of those mem
bers who request il and accep'
other strawberry growers IS mem
bers.
It was stated at Mondays meet
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