May, 1921 BETTER FRUIT Page 5 



The National Marketing Conference 



By Arthur M. Geary, Delegate from Oregon 



AT the national convention of 

 fruit growers, held at the Con- 

 gress hotel, Chicago, early in 

 April under the auspices of the Ameri- 

 can Farm Bureau Federation, marketing 

 was the principal topic under considera- 

 tion. The idea of the convention or- 

 iginated with the American Pomological 

 Society, whose members during the last 

 seventy-three years have led in the 

 studv and development of the science of 

 horticulture. The fact that the Ameri- 

 can Pomological Society stepped from 

 its beaten path and initiated such a 

 movement is in itself indicative of the 

 vital importance of the marketing prob- 

 lem. 



As a part of the marketing problem, 

 the best methods of obtaining in- 

 creased consumption of apples and 

 other fruits was discussed. The Ameri- 

 can Farm Bureau Federation, witli its 

 present membership of two million farm- 

 ers, of whom a large proportion live in 

 the middle west and southwest, in itself 

 offers an outlet for Pacific Coast-grown 

 fruit. The figures available show in a 

 startling way that large sections of the 

 farm population of this country are not 

 receiving the supplies of fruit that they 

 should have and that they would gladly 

 avail themselves of. 



The convention recommended to the 

 American Farm Bureau Federation that 

 a horticultural department be estab- 

 lished with a paid secretary who would 

 take an active part in aiding in the de- 

 velopment of new outlets for fruit 

 among the farmers and their organiza- 

 tions. 



The inter-relation of the interests of 

 fruit-growing districts was shown. Im- 

 properly graded apples on the New 

 York or any market reacts against the 

 demand for all apples. If an apple is 

 marketed after it has passed its prime, 

 the consumer of it is not a booster of the 

 consumption of other apples. 



There has been the committee of sev- 

 enteen for the wheat growing industry, 

 and there is the committee of fifteen 

 now at work for the livestock growing 

 industry and as a result of the recom- 

 mendations of this national convention, 

 President J. R. Howard of the Ameri- 

 can Farm Bureau Federation is to ap- 

 point a committee of twenty-one for 

 the study and formulation of a plan of 

 marketing for the fruit growing in- 

 dustry. Under the plan suggested for 

 the division of representatives of this 

 committee, two will be appointed from 

 Washington, two from California, one 



from Idaho and one from Oregon. 



It should be presumptuous in any one 

 to predict what such a committee will 

 develop after intensive study. The suc- 

 cess of any plan formulated will de- 

 pend upon its merit as the fruit grow- 

 ers of all districts will have the oppor- 

 tunity of accepting or rejecting. 



If the plan has merit, the backing of 

 the American Farm Bureau Federation 

 should insure its success. The American 

 Farm Bureau Federation has the single- 

 ness of purpose and the punch to put 

 over a plan for the fruit growers just 

 as it has already done for the wheat 

 growers. 



r I "'HE co-operative plan of marketing 

 -*- fruit has never had a fair chance 

 in the Pacific Northwest. However, in 

 California there is the California Fruit 

 Growers' Exchange and the California 

 Fruit Exchange, and in Florida there 

 is the Florida Citrus Exchange which 

 have national systems of distribution 

 through agents, the hiring and firing of 

 whom rests solely with board of direc- 

 tors composed of fruit growers. 



The fruit growers of the Northwest 

 have been quite successful here and 

 there in co-operating in local units, but 

 what opportunity has a local associa- 

 tion to obtain proper distribution for 

 the fruit of its members. Listen to the 

 wail of the sales manager of one of the 

 well established co-operative associa- 

 tions who for reasons of his own does 

 not desire his name to be known: 



"In passing I would say that the 

 handling of our fruit products through 

 brokerage concerns in the various mar- 

 kets is a very unsatisfactory method of 

 selling. The broker, as you know, is sup- 

 posed to represent the shipper, but in 

 actual practice he is in such a position 

 as between the shipper and the trade 

 which he serves, that his interest lies 

 rather with the trade than with the 

 shipper. Most of the brokers handle 

 various kinds, such as deciduous and 

 citrus fruits as well as potatoes and 

 other vegetables, and in many cases 

 brokers handle a line of groceries and 

 general merchandise as well. A good 

 broker has so many accounts of the 

 same class of fruit that he does not feel 

 himself tied to any one shipper. In other 

 Words, tile broker's business is so tied 

 up to the good will of the trade that he 

 very often cannot give the shipper 

 strong support and fight his deals 

 through as they should lie handled if the 

 shipper is to receive a square deal. 



Especially in a year like the one which 

 we are just concluding, the broker is 

 inclined to' favor the jobbers with whom 

 he does business." 



So much for the position of the local 

 co-operative association that endeavors 

 to market independently. It is true that 

 brands that have become as well known 

 as the Hood River Apple Growers' As- 

 sociation and Big "Y" as well as others 

 are in demand and the organizations 

 shipping under these brands have 

 patrons that wire in to the local office 

 for their supplies. But when there is a 

 big crop, is the demand from casual 

 buyers sufficient to dispose of the out- 

 put of any of these local co-operative 

 organizations at remunerative prices? 



Now what can be said for the co-op- 

 erative association of growers that ties 

 up with one of the private national 

 marketing systems; From the stand- 

 point of the eastern speculators that 

 have organized and control these 

 marketing systems the plan is entirely 

 satisfactory. It may be suggested that 

 certain of these marketing systems will 

 not speculate. Names of corporations 

 mean very little, while the names of men 

 who own and control these corporations 

 mean everything. 



It is not only of interest to the 

 grower to know whether or not the 

 brokers and agents that have been hired 

 to market his fruit are also selling fruit 

 in which they have speculated, but also 

 it is important to the grower to know to 

 whom his fruit is being sold. Mr. Arm- 

 strong, president of the Washington 

 Farm Bureau Federation, has formu- 

 lated plans whereby a permanent record 

 can be kept of all fruit marketing trans- 

 actions in the different markets. This 

 is no more than is being done in various 

 livestock markets at this time. 



The charges and profits that do not 

 appear upon the growers' statements 

 constitute a big factor in the spread 

 between the price the consumer pays 

 and the price the grower gets. The 

 forming of corporations bearing pictur- 

 esque and impressive names has become 

 a habit with the fruit speculators. One 

 can but gasp at the effrontery of the 

 representations of some of these spec- 

 ulators and combinations of speculators 

 and then gas]) again with surprise at 

 the manner in which groups of growers 

 swallow their hook, bait and tackle. As 

 a matter of fact the speculators have 

 been able to turn to their advantage the 

 unwillingness of growers of different 

 ( ( 'ontinued mi page I 7 ) 



