The War for Quality in the Fruit Exchange
After reaching $97,000 in sales, the Fruit Exchange secretary calls out local growers for the 'dishonest' practice of hiding junk fruit at the bottom of crates.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Starting business last March with an actual cash capital of $360, the Fruit Exchange, to the first day of January, did a business of $97,000, $70,025 of which was paid to the growers of the valley for their products. Secretary W. R. Crawford, however, addressed the practice of growers hiding junk in the bottom of their crates. He stated that a few growers, unmindful of their best interests and the reputation of the valley, took advantage of inadequate inspection to put one over on the Exchange. Crawford declared, 'These crooks have got to be sought out and branded so that such shameful practices in the future can be reduced to a minimum, if the Exchange is to succeed.' The annual meeting held in the Commercial Hotel hall was described as harmonious, with unanimous agreement on the need for stricter standards.
“I suppose there were some who entertained the erroneous opinion that they had better get what they could, and all they could, while the getting was good while others were just naturally endowed with a grafting disposition which would prevent their being honest even though they desire to be.”
This 1915 dispute over 'junk' fruit highlights the early, messy tension between individual growers and the collective brand of the Tri-Cities agricultural industry. Today, Kennewick still leans on its reputation for quality, though the 'gaming' of the system has moved from fruit crates to digital markets and supply chain transparency.
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