Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1923-02-01
DRASTIC MOVE
NECESSARY TO
SAVE LETTUCE
Meeting of Growers at
Hotel Tomorrow
Important
Cessation of Shipping
and Better Stock
Are Urged

The situation in the marketing OF
the Imperial Valley lettuce crop ap-
pears TO be at u crisis which calls
for prompt action and intelligent
handling, II well known grower sald
today. Growers of large aere"gcs
are alive to the situation ana Will
nut the entire matter up TO the
growers aud shippers at the lettuce
meeting at the offices of the bureau
of markets tomorrow afternoon, III
IN effort to avert Il crisis. which
would mean great loss, not oa,y to
the producers. but TO the entire COM
munity. One of the largest growers
sid today that if the lettuce crop
meets disaster, it will be Of TO use
to go on with the land colonization
plan which looked so promising
few days ago.
The prime object of the meeting
as stated by its promoters is ''to
promo Q cooperative spirit where
hy the marketing OF the largest let.
tuce crop grown in the Imperial Val
ley may be mutually Pre- fitable 20
Ill concerned To continue as We
have been doing, with less than one
third of the crop shipped win sim
ply spell disaster for the majority of
the lettuce growers, with resultant
i'll effects upon the community rs {;
whole.
All Must Cooperate
.'But if the right spirit of mutual
helpfulness il manifested by ali get
ting together on some concerted
! action as suggested in the following
ioutline, it Will be possible 30 change.
itha lettuce deal from what GEMS
now TO be inevitable failure to =
profitable enterprise, profitable not
only to those Immediately concerned,
but indirectly effecting the property
of the entire valley.
At the meeting the following
points among other things will DO
discussed: 81
!. The advisability of not ship
ping any. lettuce on Sundays, COIN,
mencing February 4. -.
.. Net to ship and lettuce Febru.
airy 4,55, 6, and Z, to permit market
cleaning mp. sss1ri
= 8. Not to ship any lcttpea tina.
packs under 4A dozen orr Try I'd
limit to ms few fives rs possible, and
not pack anything under five dozen
until prices Justify, ~ AS
Nothing But Best Stocks
4. To ship nothing but best stock
rs there has been entirely toe much
poor lettuce shipped which has cont
pletely deinoralized the market.
5. To support the efforts of Goun-
~ Horticultural Commissioner +. w.
Waite, to the end that nothing but
eirstcla lettuce win be shipped,
that all packages be properly and
correctly marked as to sizes, and
II at deceptive packing, either b.
putting in too much ice or by loose
pack, be stopped
AS to SHIPPING lettuce on Sunday,
ii is said that there are practically
1"ly five days in each week during
watch ,alcs on the various markets
are active. Saturday is n part holi.
day and most sales ;re conf led to
local city trade. When shi1nents
are made every day it means that
$; turdav, sunday ard Monday morn
ing arrivals are dumped on the mar
kct for Monday sales. all of which
tends To cause ovcr-supply with II
weakening mGrE't.
AS all markets in the United
States are gluttCd ut this time with
lettuce having on hand at lphst four
or fi2e GAYS normal c'd acity, aad as
markets are demcralized md lettuce
net bringing much over freight AMI
plcking charges, it would seem utter
folly TO force more into the markets.
The full stopping ot shipments Cor
the four days as suggested would
tend TO relieve this situation and r.
store the market. AZ for the othee
points TO be discussed, obviously ther
woult have an effective hearing On
the situation, and those promoting
the meeting tomorrow feel that little
argument in their favo" viii be nee
CSsNrN.
The following resume Of the stu,
atom is given h IL gl0wer:
Wchave 1hippcd to date approx
inately 2G50 ears Of letinee (about
oaa-third # the entire crop Of
which q possible HOO sold II profit.
able fig leaving ar equal
amount or 1850 ears which will bare.
ly pay their packing and transpof-
tation charges, leaving nothing for
the grower and In many eases ears
viii not bring freight charges. This
is mt sound business, There ore
some shippers unable to pay the
growers for lettuce purchased in the
fields simply due 10 the lboye
causes. Therp arc 1000 ears u let.
inee unsold and going forward 10
| markets that are already over sup
Piled and there il no hope that they
@ill bring much over transportation
costs. No business ean survive IN,
der suca conditions ns these +"