The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-04-06
DISCUSSIONS
GROW WARM
APPLE GROWERS HAVE LITTLETILTS
Meeting, However, Passes Without De-
velOpment Of Descriptions Pears
And Cherries Recommended

While heated moments filled the an
nual meeting of the Apple Growers
Association Saturday with senations as
growers passed charges of political
chicanery or waxed warm on other
topics that divided Individual opinion,
the meeting ended without the indica-
tion of the least disruption. Express
sions were frank and apparently made
for the good of the cause. While they
may have been temporarily caustic,
no lasting ill-humor was developed.
The sessions were characterized by
discussion showing a new trend in the
Hood River valley fruit industry, which
has become world-famed for its apples.
Speakers cited the development of new
competing areas of apples. Leroy
Childs, who urged growers to pay a
more earnest attention to the recon
struction of orchards injured by the
heavy freeze of December. 1919, urged
that future paintings be directed large
ly to winter pears and cherries. Mr..
Childs cited that the heaviest new
paintings of apples now being made in
the United States are in eastern com
mercial districts. He continued:
1--WE have seen how western men,
men trained in our scientific principles
of apple culture, are going east and
taking hold of the big commercial
propositions there. One of the latest
leave for the east is c. |. Lewis.
one of the most influential figures IN
northwestern horticulture. We will
best serve ourselves by the production
of those fruits that are excellently
adapted to our soil and climate. winter
pears and sweet cherries. l advise
that growers, however small their new
acreage, set some of these fruits. The
diseases and pests met with elsewhere
limit commercial pear growing, of
winter varieties, largely to our dis
trict. Our sweet cherries of Oregon,
especially of the Columbia river dis
trict. have no equal"
Mr.. Childs stated that cane fruits
have been suggested for diversifying
Hood River valley fruit interests. He.
however, advised against any extern
sive paintings of raspberries and black
berries until further experiments are
conducted.
A. ID. Moe, who has just returned
from an extensive motor tour of Cal
ifornia, told growers that new orchards
in San Bernardino county, where / 900
new acres are being set this year and
where 1000 carloads were shipped last
fall, are developing new and formid-
able competition in southern California
markets. He declared that the south
ern California growers, who are utliz-
ing highland lands there in raising va
rieties specialized in largely by Wash
ington apple sections. will be able to
place their fruit on the southern Cali
fornia markets for rs cents per box
cheaper than the northwestern grow
ers.
One of the most tempetuous episodes
of the meeting arose over charges that
August Guignard, chairman of the CO.
operative body's by-products commit
tee. made at the March primary
against the Hood River Apple Vinegar
Co. He alleged then that the manage
ment of the vinegar concern, which
has sold large blocks of its stock to
growers, had stacked the cards against
participation by growers in conducting
affairs of the concern. He also stated
that the vinegar company's manager
and president, G. j. Calkins, had re-
ceived salary of $1,000 per month
last year, while a dividend to stock
holders had been passed. A. j. Graft.
former director and now on the board
of the vinegar concern, read letter
from the directorate of the vinegar
company, declaring that MIR. Guig-
nard's statements had been unfair to
the company through mis-statements.
He declared that the election of direc-
tors had been entirely regular without
any intention or act of curtailing
rights of growers interested through
stock purchases in the organization.
He also denied that Mr.. Calkins had
received the high salary alleged. Mr..
Graft stated that MIR. Calklns last year
had received salary of Sc, 200. The
managers salary for the coming sea-
son, Mr.. Graft said, will be 5000 per
month. This, he said, will be in
creased to 5000 in case profits over and
above returns on stock will permit.
Mr.. Guignard made charges that
heavy bonuses had been paid employees
of the vinegar company. This Mr..
Graft also denied. stating that the only
bonuses given were paid during war
year, when the concerns expert help
remained loyal, althoughh other indus
tries were offering higher temporary
wage. No executives of the concern,
be declared, had ever participated in a
bonus. MIR. Guignard addressed the
growers and maintained that his
charges had been substantially correct.
He declared that he had been told by a
close personal friend Of Mr.. Calkins in
Portland that the vinegar company
manager had received a salary of $l2,-
600 last year. Mr.. Guignard declared
that the growers Of the valley had
been hoodwinked in financing another
mans proposition, and urged growers
to consider plans of an association
owned by-products plant.
I'VE have been told," said President
E. w. Birge. in disposing of the dis
cussion, "by statesmen of stock in the
vinega- company what high dividends
it will pay. We will watch them and
if we do not get good prices for our
apples or the returns promised, then it
will be time to talk about owning our
own plant"
p.A feature of the meeting was the
discussion over use of cardboard layers
at the top and bottom Of apple boxes.
0. b. Nye offered a resolution in
structing the directorate Of the assOci-
alton to discontinue cardboard. 1t was
carried unanimously. Mr.. Nye pre-
sented returns on questionnaires that
he had forwarded to various repre-
sentative shipping interests and federal
experts. In every instance the replies
characterized the cardboard as unnee-
essary expense unless it possibly elm
mated damage frosl careless mailing of
lids. Mr.. Nye declared that the prse-
tice entailssn annual useless expense