Report of W. K. Newell. 13 



THE LAFEAN BILL. 



The matter of federal legislation relating to the apple indus- 

 try has attracted our attention during the past winter, and 

 from present indications will need fiirther attention before 

 the case is finally settled. The Lafean bill, which has been 

 before congress the present Session, seeks to accomDlish two 

 main objects: to standardize the packages used in interstate 

 commerce, and to standardize the System of grading and 

 marketing the fruit. The reason for the agitation in this 

 direction is that there has been confusion in the markets from 

 the use of four different styles of barreis in the eastern states, 

 and from the ifse of one size of box in Colorado and another 

 from the Pacific Northwest and California. Absolute lack of 

 any rules of grading whatever in the average eastern barrel- 

 packed fruit also caused discussion. 



The objects sought to be attained by the supporters of the 

 bill, who are principally the commission dealers and retail 

 grocerymen of the eastern cities, are laudable ; but it seems 

 very imDrobable that the bill, if passed and enforced, would 

 accomplish the results desired. So objectionable were the 

 terms of the bill to the growers of the Northwest that it was 

 found necessary to send representatives to Washington to Pro- 

 test against it. C. E. Whisler of Medford, J. A. Wilson of 

 Hood River, and myself represented Oregon ; and L. B. Monroe 

 of Spokane, and J. A. Tichenal of Wenatchee, appeared for 

 Washington. 



The Standard apple box provided for in this bill contains 

 2,342 cubic inches, which is 170 inches more than our present 

 box contains ; the contention being that our box does not con- 

 tain a füll bushel, or as the retailer puts it, it will not measure 

 out four heaped pecks such as he must deliver when he sells 

 by the peck or half-peck. This is a very important point, as 

 we found on careful investigation of the markets of all the 

 cities which we were able to visit, that our apples were being 

 discriminated against to a marked degree on this account. 



While we were able to demonstrate to the füll satisfaction 

 of the committee on agriculture, before whom the hearing was 

 held, that our box, when packed honestly and carefully, would 

 measure out four heaped pecks, yet we were unable to find 

 any boxes of our apples on the regulär market at Washington 

 that would measure füll quantity. This was the weakest point 

 in our Opposition to the bill, and it was very mortifying to 

 have it caused by the carelessness of our own packers. 



There has been very general complaint from the dealers and 

 consumers in the eastern markets that our fruit this year was 

 not up to the Standard either in pack or quality. We set so 



