Growers Bet on New Railroad to Stem Losses
Wenatchee fruit growers commit to a unique tax on their own harvest to fund a new rail line after losing millions to transit delays.
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F. A. Steinbach, a fruit grower from Wenatchee who purchased last spring and is now improving 30 acres of land near Hanford, was in White Bluffs Friday, and said that the growers in the Wenatchee valley have this week been signing agreements to donate 3 cents per box for the next three years on every box of apples they produce, to cover any possible deficit in operation expenses or dividends to stockholders of the Wenatchee Southern. These agreements are to be presented to the Interstate Commerce Commission at the hearing in Wenatchee next Monday for a certificate of necessity. Having lost four million dollars last year because of lack of transportation facilities, Mr. Steinbach says, the growers are much interested in the building of the new railroad and expect to pack the room at the hearing to press their demands.
“Having lost four million dollars last year because of lack of transportation facilities, the growers are much interested in the building of the new railroad.”
This story highlights the perennial struggle of rural Washington agricultural producers to secure infrastructure against the power of railroad monopolies. The grower-funded model echoes historical self-organizing efforts in the valley to bypass the boom-and-bust cycle of corporate logistics.
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