The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1928-05-31
PRICE WAR
GIVEN BLAME
Writer Hits Big Y for Low
Returns-Proposes
Drastic Action

Something like a year ago |
wrote you relative to a new Nari-
NV of strawberry my father had
eor;ginated o at White Salmon and
That d was planting two acres here
an on INV place at Kennewick to try
thsm a. out in competition with
clark Seeding in an effort to get
more productive variety that
would be a satisfactory shipper.
GREAT deal of interest has been
shown by growers and shippers
alike in this experiment and | can
report at this time that this new
berry has proven remarkably
solid and fine appearing berry.
However it is two weeks later
than Clark instead of one week as
I had figured. The tonnage has
vet to be ascertained as / have
not finished picking. Also I have
found that such large percent
age of plants got such a late start
from late planting last spring that
the field did not have a fair show.
So / do not think / can estimate
the crop this year much over 100
crates per acre, although ] will
correct this estimate later if I
find it worth while. Right now l
am decidedly more interested in a
different phase of the strawberry
business-The question of market.
Every since have been in Ken
newick / have taken for granted
that marketing had developed to
the point at least where it would
always pay to harvest a straw
berry crop. Every one seems to
think that strawberry crop rep
resents money because Kennewick
is in market by itself. California
is about done and Hood River just
beginning as we finish. The Mis-
ouri berries are always easily
pushed off the market and the
coast berries land California are
easily out shipped and out sold by
our fancy packed product. These
facts and conditions have pre-
vailed so consistently from year to
year that the market problem new
er occurred to me. I just went
ahead and planted strawberries
like any other farmer might do
and now what about it? Market
shot in mid-season. A third of the
crop left in the field. Farmers all
discouraged. Bills unpaid etc.
That makes a fellow wonder
what is the matter? Pm not go
ing to try to answer this question,
out merely to say what l think.
1t looks to me like there is an old
fashioned price war on between
me Big Y and the Union. I do not
know which is to blame most. I
snip through the Union and they
tel me ther that the Y. cuts the
prsce repeatedly. / went to the
some way and the local manager
wouldn't talk "get7to-gether" but
qeait m personalities. This is a big
question and not personal mat
ser between managers in the least
sense of the word.
Every bodys' living comes out
VI Inc net return of the farm
crops. Now if there are no net re-
sarns and the farmer don't harvest
xnere does the country get off? /
eant see how people live or how
axes will be paid if this war con-
.inaes. Something must be done
ana 1t must be done quick or the
next crop in line will be slaught-
ered like the berries. We can't
s:, salld country and have price
.ailures. We had just as well have
irost las a price failure. This
: 2 question every body in the
t.Dnmunlty .D and town is vitally in
msested In. These crops are the
pfsperty of the co,,nt,.,y .nd +ox