NORTH PACIFIC FRUIT DISTRIBUTORS 
operated toward a more common under- 
standing of price conditions and the elim- 
ination of bargain hunters to the material 
advantage of both the retail trade and 
general consuming public. 
Again, never before have the growers 
of the Northwest themselves had such a 
source of dependable information with 
respect to prevailing prices and true 
market conditions, common knowledge re- 
specting which, from the standpoint of 
growers, retailers and consumers, has had 
a decidedly beneficial effect toward in- 
creasing consumption. 
Sales Policy 
With the announcement last August of 
the sales policy of the distributors there 
was brought to the Northwestern boxed 
apple business a stability and orderly 
control wholly lacking and entirely ab- 
sent during the speculative years of the 
past. The announcement that the sea- 
son’s sale would begin upon a price basis 
sufficiently moderate to attract the deal- 
ers’ investment early in the season 
(thereby affording the trade, as prices 
advanced, due and proper protection upon 
their investments previously made), met 
with a quick response and a hearty ap- 
proval from the trade. They were quick 
to observe that the growers under that 
policy would eliminate much of the risk 
heretofore attending early sales and that 
the growers who controlled the product 
in the first instance, instead of the pur- 
chaser and speculator, thus became the 
real regulators of the market. It re- 
mained only to adhere strictly to the 
policy outlined and to demonstrate good 
intentions and good faith in efforts to 
maintain a uniform price, coupled with a 
steadfast refusal to undersell previous 
quotations, to gain the trade’s entire con- 
fidence This enabled the organization to 
book and make advance sales of a sub- 
stantial portion of the surplus and in a 
most positive and material degree relieve 
the accustomed harvest pressure and 
avoid the usual declining markets at that 
critical season of the year. 
None previously had been sufficiently 
bold to advocate low or moderate prices 
at the opening of the season. The very 
1291 
audacity of the proposal was both start- 
ling to the growers and a pleasing inno- 
vation to the trade. The trade, while 
acknowledging the decided advantage that 
would accrue alike to themselves, the 
growers and consumers, were neverthe- 
less skeptical regarding the ability to 
reconcile the growers to even a moder- 
ately low opening price and successfully 
maintain such a policy. It is pleasing, 
indeed, to note, however, that the grow- 
ers quite generally were most favorably 
impressed with the force of the proposi- 
tion; and, with a greater degree of unan- 
imity than would ordinarily be expected, 
quite loyally supported the plan. 
A steady market was maintained until 
the middle of March, when distributors’ 
holdings were all disposed of and it re- 
leased its steadying influence. Within a 
very few days speculators realized that 
the situation was in their hands and they 
began cutting prices, and the apple mar- 
ket was soon in a chaotic condition, where 
it remained until the end of the season, 
resulting in the loss of thousands of dol- 
lars to the storage-apple holders. 
Purpose 
The purpose of the organization is to 
get a larger economy in assembling, a 
wider distribution, a lower price to the 
consumer and therefore an increased con- 
sumption; scientific advertising; and, in 
short, to put the business on the same 
basis as any other business stands in or- 
der that the grower’s business may be 
managed in a business way and under the 
control of the grower himself. 
Government 
The four states of Oregon, Washington, 
Idaho and Montana are roughly divided 
geographically (and regardless of state 
lines} into a number of “Sub-Central Dis- 
tricts’—at present nine—which number 
may be increased or decreased at any 
time. Each sub-central district elects one 
trustee lo represent it on the central 
“Board of Trustees ” Hach sub-central al- 
so elects two members of the “Council of 
Represertatives.” In these two bodies 
rests the general control of the organiza- 
tion. 
