Seattle's Fruit Growers Take On the Wholesalers — and City Hall

The monthly meeting of the King County Fruitgrowers' Society, held Saturday, was an unusually lively and interesting session. C. N. Sandahl, the vice president, was in the chair and called the meeting to order.

The question of establishing a cannery in Seattle was brought out by County Fruit Inspector W. H. Brown, who pointed out the great necessity of such an enterprise to preserve the large quantities of fruits of all kinds that are beyond all the calls of consumption, being allowed to waste on the farms because of lack of proper means to take care of it.

L. D. Fortney followed with some ideas of force along the same line, supplementing Mr. Brown's remarks. He also spoke on the matter of holding a fall exposition in Seattle, and thought that it could be made a great success in every way. He called the attention of farmers to the injustice being perpetrated by unreliable nurserymen in selling trees untrue to name and at rates below the cost of production, it being almost certain that where trees were sold at $4 per hundred the buyer would get the worst of the bargain.

Judge J. J. McGilvra was called for and told how he had watched the fruit interests of the state develop in such a wonderful way since the early sixties, when he first became a settler of this section. He said in part:

"The trouble with us is not so much the price of fruit trees as of the fruit itself. In plain words, we cannot market our fruit at prices that pay for raising it. Under such circumstances even the best trees and the best orchards are of no value.

"What are the reasons for this condition of affairs? Well, first, I would mention the competition which we are compelled to meet. With the improved facilities for transportation the fruit of Oregon and California is brought to our city, and circumstances warrant me in saying that we get even some of the refuse fruit of California. Then, too, I think there has been an unjust discrimination against our resident fruit growers. Go around the city and you will find that the retail dealers buy mainly not from our own growers, but from wholesale dealers. The wholesale dealers in turn send their big orders south. Twice the city council itself has passed a discriminative ordinance against our own fruit and vegetable growers, forbidding them from meeting the consumer face to face and making a house-to-house sale of their own product. We succeeded in having the ordinance knocked out. Then the council decreed that every vendor of fruit and vegetables within certain limits, embracing practically the entire city, must take out a license. Then we went before the legislature and succeeded in getting a statute passed that settled the matter."

R. Merchant, manager of the Cash Buyers' Association, responded to the general call to give his views, as a broker, and he did give them straight from the shoulder. He was frank in stating that he was not working for the interest of the farmer any further than that the results derived would benefit his own business. We have arranged to publish his address in full in a later issue, as it was highly original and will be read with profit by all our horticultural patrons. He closed by offering that he would like very much to see a cannery operating here, and would himself start the subscription with a donation of $50. He thought a small one could be erected for about $1,000 cash, and additional aid given by bonuses of fruit.

The secretary, Mr. Bull, moved the appointment by the chair of a committee to look into the matter of holding a fair this fall, and accordingly the following were selected. The secretary, Mr. Bull, moved the appointment of a committee, by the chair, to investigate the matter of establishing a cannery and report at the next meeting, to be held the last Saturday in April, and the following were accordingly selected: Jas. Hart, J. Horton and W. F. McKnight.

A committee was also appointed to take steps for the organization of a Fair association, and report. The following were appointed: A. J. M. Hosom, of Coupeville; James Hart, of Christopher; James A. Stewart, of Christopher; W. E. Hopkins, of Seattle; W. Duncan, of Houghton; J. W. Prouty, of Van Asselt; and Ben Bennett, of Silverdale, and requested Mr. Hopkins to act as chairman.