The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-01-28
Letters From the People
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When l wrote the article appearing
In your paper on January 18th, /
discussed agents" in general who
were selling Kennewick produce. !
treated all agents alike, and simply
pointed out the fallacy of these ag-
|ents yearly cutting prices on each
other in markets where Kennewick
products are sold. -E.
| had no intention then, nor do j
now intend to engage in PERSONAL
ties, mention single name of any
agent directly or by inference, OF
follow the matter up with any more
interest than that shown by the av-
erage citizen in Kennewick. I never
mentioned Northwest markets." or
"distant markets" as I felt such
terms were as red flags to bulls.
Allow me to state my position and
opinion again. Because Kennewick
has some early and exclusive products
+as far as quality is concerned, it
seems a shame that these products
are subject to local cutthroat compe-
tition in both local and eastern mar
kets. For instance, we have a much
increased acreage of asparagus just
coming into bearing. In quality our
grass outclasses California, but it is
doubtful if one eastern consumer out
of thousand is aware of that fact.
| therefore still feel that cooperation
in selling and even greater energy
directed toward developing and ex-
tending markets will make this a
much better community than should
we continue to persue the ruinous
course of dumping products where it
will hurt this or that local competitor
most.
Local agents are rated by the COM
parative returns they make to their
growers. Under the present system it
makes little difference apparently to
some farmers what they get for pro-
duce so long as they get more than
some of their neighbors. 1t is there
fore only human for local agents to
try to raise their comparative returns
instead of their maximum returns.
Unfortunately for the local growers
one agent can raise his comparative
returns if he can hurt his compel
itir. The desire to hurt the local COM
petitor then becomes desire equally
as strong as the desire for higher
prices and the Kennewick grower is
caught in a whirlpool of cut-throat
competition. He is caught between
two forces working in opposite di-
rections.
Should the agents for produce in
this community daily agree on min
fmum quotations, the desire to get
comparative prices would be trans
formed into a more active desire to
get maximum prices. In turn this de-
sire would lead to more intensive
desire to get newer and broader
markets. In general it would transfer
the desire to get somebody, to de-
sire to get some place. in the market
ing of Kennewick products.
I thank you Mr.. Editor for the
space and encouragement. you have
given this movement. I claim no ORR
ginality for any ideas I have ex-
pressed. They are only principles of
business followed by every line of
business except the business of handl-
ing the farmers business. l will en-
gage in controversy with no agent as
/ have made no charges against them
individually, for personally I feel
friendly to all of them. Individuals
in this controversy are to me only
incidental. They are but actors play
ing leading parts in tragedy that
has been staged in Kennewick for fiji
teen years. While / like the actors ]
hate the play. None profit by the NOR
al of this play.