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CONFERENCE ON CO-OPERATION 



good deal of kicking at paying the high price, every man ordered 

 his berries and paid the price. We held the price straight through 

 the season because we had the outlet. This is something that can- 

 not be done with all fruits and vegetables. We happened to have 

 a good year perhaps, berries being scarce. I can safely say that 

 we made an advance of two to three cents a quart on carloads over 

 what had been obtained in previous years. 



On the cherry deal, — our cherries had always been sold to the 

 nearby cannery. It was brought to my attention that it was my 

 duty to offer those there. It is not our object as an association to 

 put local canneries out of business. Our crop was somewhat short. 

 I proceeded to offer it to the nearby canneries, and was offered five 

 cents a pound. I considered that we could do better than that. 

 I had^ looked into the market problem a little, and had been keep- 

 ing in touch with one or two brokers and buyers. I informed the 

 canner that we would be pleased to sell to him at five and one-half 

 cents. He said he couldn't pay that, but thought he should have 

 the cherries. I got a broker to pay five and one-half cents, and I 

 saved the growers just one thousand dollars on three cars of cherries. 

 That is getting results, that is what made our growers feel good. 

 They are with us to a man. 



There is one thing I want to say — that some growers want to 

 use the Association as a club. They become members of the Associa- 

 tion, and instead of coming in and contracting their produce to be 

 sold with the Association, they will notify you, 'T think I am going 

 to have this or that." They don't come and sign our contracts, 

 so the manager will know just what he has to sell. I consider this 

 a great handicap. When he has a buyer come to him, and he has 

 to canvass to find out how many of his growers are going to stand 

 back of him, it makes it very hard. 



I may say that I have already been busy this year. I have a 

 prospect of a buyer who will take one hundred tons of cherries. 

 This is known to our growers, but we have very few that have signed 

 up for the Association. 



I would say that shipping to small markets is one of our greatest 

 problems. We ship so that we conflict with one another. If every- 

 thing could be handled by an association, we could better distribute 

 the produce and get better prices. Last year in shipping to nearby 

 markets, I did very well on the red raspberries, because we made 

 the price; but on some of the black raspberries and other fruits. 



