The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1934-05-31
GRASS PACK AT
CANNERY ENDS
THIS SATURDAY
Cutting Season Comes to End;
Plant to Close Until Bean Crop
is Ready; Negotiate for Oper-
ator Thru Summer

The new Kennewick cannery will
close down the last of this week pend
ing the arrival of the new crop Of
beans which has been contracted for.
Grass shipments have dwindled to
such an extent that they can no long
er operate. The bean crop is esri-
mated to be ready for the first pick
ing about June Is. y.
A checkup of the actual figures
for the operations on asparagus gives
some interesting information. With
the present equipment the plant
could handle 20 tons of asparagus
per day, according to figures prepar-
ed by Bill Gunder, cost expert for the
Santa Cruz Packing Co., which has
handled the operation Of the cannery
for the grass packout. .....s..r.
Under normal conditions the sea-
son would run about 40 days, he said,
handling about 20 tons a day,
thus enabling the plant TO process
eight hundred tons of grass in the
cutting season. To accomplish this,
q crew of 200 people would be re-
quired with an average Of ten work
ing hours per day.
This season, with the early start
on the green market and the heavy
cutting during that period, caused q
smaller output to go to the cannery.
At the peak Of the season, however,
this amount was handled with a max
imum employment Of 124 women and
Al men. With the drop in receipts,
this crew was considerably reduced.
With a maximum production, with
figures based on this years receipts,
the total output from the cannery, on
grass alone would have exceeded $70,-
600 for grass and labor. Such ton
mage would have produced $4,000
packed cases, Mr.. Gunder figured,
would have meant in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000 in labor and $4,000
for grass.
Actual figures for the operation on
grass this year are as follows: Pay
ment for grass, $10,941.13, an aver
age paid to all growers and associa-
tions for all grades Of .0S73S per
pound.
The actual payroll for the season
meant S4,906.02 to workers in this
community, including last weeks
payments. This was an average "
1877 cents per woman hour and 1873
per man hour, according to Mr.. Cum
der's figures.
The grass paclout was handled by
the Santa Cruz Packing company Of
California. Arrangements are now
being made for the operation Of the
plant on the beans and tomatoes,
apricots and apples which are to be
handled for the remainder Of the sea-
SON as the crops severally are ready
for processing.
The executive committee from the
Walla walla Canning company was
here today looking over the plant
and are considering the possibilities
for operating the plant under a lease
similar to that now held by the Santa
Cruz company. A tentative proposal
will be issued tomorrow, following
which the local officials will call 9
general meeting of those interested
in the establishment to consider the
proposition. Propositions from other
sources are also being considered.
J. w. Burke, in charge Of the plant
at Walla walIa, Mr.. Crawford, Mr.
Kelley and another member Of the ex
ecutive board Of the Walla Walls
company were in the party making
the inspection of the plant today.
By the time the bean pack is ready
it is expected that arrangements vii
. have been completed for the remand
err of the seasons run.