White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1934-10-25
Yakima Shippers Defy AAA
License Act; Issue
Statement

Enforcement of the growers apple
code will continue, it was Indicated
this week, following the approval of
the code by vote of 80 to at a
meeting of delegates of the apple
growing districts of the state at Ell
lensburg Monday
The meeting had been called by State
Director of Agriculture w. j. Robin
son following protests against the
code by shippers and a group of grow
ers producing, it was asserted, an estl-
mated 100000 boxes of apples, or
about three-q quarters of the crop IN
the Yakima valley.
The latest attempt to have the
apple growers code suspended began
several weeks ago when group OF
fruit shippers of the Yakima valley re-
fused to take out licenses under the
state Agricultural Adjustment Act and
comply with certain Of it's provisions.
A complaint was filed in the Yakima
county superior court by Director Rob-
inson, asking for restraining order
against thirteen firms, charging they
were doing business in violation OF the
AAA.
Shippers named in the complaint
were: Perham Fruit company, Yakima
Fruit Growers Association, G. M. Holtz-
niger Fruit company, Rainier Fruit
company, Sellers & Stone, Yakima
County Horticultural Union, Williams
Fruit company, E. E. Samson & COM
pany, Richey 81 Gilbert company,
Washington Fruit & Produce company,
Prentice Packing g. Cold Storage COM
pany, Stubs Fruit & Cold Storage
company and American Fruit Growers,
Inc.
Following their refusal to take out
licenses, the shippers adopted policy
of passive resistance to the state AAA
and growers code. An assessment OF
As cents per ton or one cent per packed
box had been levied by the growers
code organization for administration
and advertising. This assessment was
to be paid by the growers through
the shippers and 1t is claimed many
shippers deducted this amount but did
not turn the money over to the code
management.
Thereupon the code management
with approval of the director of agri-
culture imposed a stamp tax covering
assessments previously imposed as a
means of obtaining funds for the adj
ministration of the code.
Shippers generally refused to buy
stamps and some did so under pro-
test. After one day the director of ag-
riculture held up enforcement OF inter
state traffic, says the Pacific Coas
Packer, as railroads refused to permit
a stamp to be placed upon bills O.
lading and announced they would &C
cept and forward fruit offered b.
shippers regardless of code stamp tai
provisions.
The director then ordered enforce
ment resumed and announced tina
shippers would be required to pay as
sessments monthly according to tn
business they had transacted as shown
by their books. At the same time h
filed the complaint.
Following the approval of the cod
by the delegates at the Ellensbur
meeting, it was agreed that meeting
would be held in all communities t
ascertain the sentiment among grow
ers relative to the code. This was don
at the suggestion of Director Robin
son, who asked that all growers
whether for or against the code, b
urged to attend in order that FIRE
expression might be obtained.
In published statement recent.
these shippers outlined their views q
follows:
"The Washington Agricultural Ad
justment Act has two main provision
First, it provides that all handlers
AGRICULTURAL products, including COOP
eratives, shall be licensed. Second,
provides for marketing agreements
codes to be approved or prescribed K
the director of agriculture. 1t furtht
provides that all licensees shall sig
an agreement to comply with the tern
and conditions of any marketing agree
ment the director may at any tin
approve or prescribe, and any rule
regulations or orders he may ISSUE
1.-THE cooperative and independel
shippers are chiefly interested in II
license feature of the law; the grow
ers are chiefly interested in its ma
keting featurs. There is, however,
overlapping of interests and all fe'
lures of the act are Of Importance
every factor in the industry.
1.-THE act itself provides for licen
fee 'on all shippers ranging from