The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1923-07-19
Wenatchee Delegation Make
Auto Trip Down Colum-
bia Valley
ARE SURPRISED AT
DEVELOPMENT HERE
Kennewick Asked to Send
Delegation to Railroad
Hearing

sixteen representative business and |
professional men and farmers of Wen
atchee paid Kennewick brief visit
Tuesday. The delegation headed by
John A. Gellatly, former mayor, and
pr. H. A. Saunders, general manager
Of the Wenatchee Southern Railroad
company, were out to get better ac-
quainted with the people and the
country along the route of the pro-
posed railroad. The day before they
visited White Bluffs, the artesian
wells at Cold Greek, the gas wells in
the Rattlesnakes and spent the night
at Hanford.
Before leaving Wenatchee they had
intended to end their trip at Hanford
and as result notice of their coming
only preceded their arrival here by
few hours. A number of local bus
mess men joined them at Hotel Ken
newick Cafe for luncheon.
Acting as chairman for the visitors
Mr.. Gellatly introduced several Of
their number, each of whom voiced
his surprise at the present develop
ment and the wonderful possibilities
for future development Of the Column
bia river valley in Benton county.
For those who had not before made
the trip the two days journey was a
revelation, the more so because at
a former hearing on the application
of the Wenatchee Southern, Great
Northern witnesses had testified that
the territory beween Hanford anc
Kennewick was a succession Of SAND
dunes impossible of agricultural de-
velopment.
AS upon former visits DR.. Saund
ers emphasized the plight OF ths
Wenatchee fruitgrowers because OF
lack of transportation facilities. 81
said that with prospects for 16,OO'
cars Of apples, one of the larges
crops in history, growers of the Wen
atchee district again this year wer
threatened with loss that will tota
in the millions because of the G-ea
Northern's inability to carry the .ap
pies to the market centers at the sea
son of year when they should be car
fried.
"You may think the troubles of tn
Wenatchee apple grower do not at
feet you, but they do," declared d.
Saunders. "They vitality affect ever
grower of Northeast box apples. Tn
Northwest box apple industry is gel
ting a black eye because of the cor
dition in which Wenatchee apples &c
to market This is the story hear
last year from dealers in Omaha, j
Chicago, in Washington, D. c., an
in New York l saw Delicious apple
with my own name stamped on tn
box, with the juice running out {
the bottom of the box. / had tn
dealer open up box after box only
find that at least one apple out
four was rotten at the core. TIL
is what is happening every yea
Wenatchee apples are either froze
in transit or their shipment delaye
so long that they are unfit for sa
upon arrival in the market center
The consumers and the retailers
East do not differentiate betwee
Wenatchee, Yakima or Hood Riy'
apples. They know only Northwe
apples and as a result the who
Northwest suffers by reason OF Il
handicap laid upon us because OF i
adequate transportation facilities
DR.. Saunders said he was hopef
that at the hearing which begins
Wenatchee next Monday, the Inte
state Commerce Commission could
made to see the justice OF Wenatchee
request for permission to build ra
road down the Columbia river to co
meet with three transcontinental ra
way systems. eve are depending u
on Mr.. Church and Mr.. Crawford
witnesses from Kennewick, but
want larger delegation, the larg
the BETTER he said.
Mr.. Gellatly said one OF the bigge
problems confronting the nation
day is that of marketing agricultul
products. "The future of the farm
not only in the Wenatchee district,
the Northwest, but in the nation
large, depends upon the star
ardized and staplized system OF ma