Imperial Valley press., 1927-02-05
SUSPEND
If TU(E
CUT TING
Growers Agree on Drastic
Action to Prevent Heavy
Losses to Industry.
RESUME TU ESD A Y
Cooperation Is Pledged
By Over 80 Per Cent of
Acreage in Valley.

With cooperation for greater
good of all as the keynote, history
making meeting of lettuce men of
Imperial Valley packed the ball
room of the Hotel Barbara Worth
yesterday, and voted the most dras-
tie action ever contemplated by the
industry in an endeavor to prevent
financial disaster to their business
and the dependent interests of the
valley. AS a result of the meeting
cutting of lettuce was suspended
throughout the county at noon to
day and will not, according to The
agreement, be resumed until next
Tuesday morning.
Never has movement of such
portent to big industry and the
public in general received such
splendid cooperation in the history
of the valley. Roll call at the meet
ing revealed that over 90 per cent
of the $4,000 acre crop planted this
season was represented, while tele-
phone communication with few of
the large factors not present re-
| suited in their promise to cooperate.
Not content with stopping the
shipments completely for two and
one-half day period, after which
shipments might increase sufficient.
ly to undo all good done, the grow.
ers further bound themselves in an
/ honor agreement to hold shipments
to a limit of 140 cars per day fol-
the remainder of the coming week
Shipments will be pro-rated on the
, basis Of one car for every 240 acres
shown by each concern on the of
ficial acreage list issued by Horti-
cultural Commissioner B. A. Harri-
gan at the opening of the season.
Cooperation Necessary
Now that workable plan has
been formulated, all that remains i'll
the words of one prominent shipper,
is "do it, Upon the 100 per cent
cooperation with the plan depends
the success of the move, sponsors of
the movement declare.
Outstanding among talks made was
that of Walter Hunt, partner in
the Sawdey and Hunt concern hav-
ing the largest single acreage in
the valley, who offered the motion
which stopped the cutting at noon
today. The motion further provides
that names of violators of the agree
! ment are to be published.
No restriction in shipments, based
upon sizes, was voted. The situa.
tion was thoroughly discussed from
this angle and action eliminating
the packing of five dozens deemed
inadvisable. Hunt s motion pro-
vides for the shipment of 31as, 4s
and 5s upon the reopening of ship
ments Tuesday.
Appointment of committees to
handle the situation resulted as fol-
lows: Claude Brown, chairman, Mar
tin Wahl, Lee Seibert and w. E.
Whitacre, pro-rating committee, to
cooperate with Horticultural Com
missioner Harrigan; publicity COM
mittee, Elmer Sears, M. B. 'Brien
and Walter Farley.
The work of allotting cars to the
various concerns will be done by the
committee, which will report further
to growers committee of IL at a
meeting at the Planters hotel in
Brawley on Thursday next. Immed-
lately following the committee
meeting at . o'clock, a mass meet
ing for all lettuce men will be held
there to discuss the results obtained
by that time, and to make plans
for the future.
To guard the quality of shipments
which under existing market condi.
tlons is of primary Importance, it
was voted to raise an assessment of
70 cents per car, retroactive to the
beginning of the season, to pay for
the continuance of inspection, the
fund for which is now exhausted.
Tom O'Nil of Los Angeles acted
as chairman, following the call to
order by Commissioner b. A. Harri-
gan who acted as temporary chair
man.