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CONFERENCE ON CO-OPERATION 



be confronted with a grower whose grapes were a Uttle off, but he 

 was a large grower, and instead of standing right up and teUing this 

 man that his grapes would have to go into wine or he would have 

 to pack them in No. 1 baskets and put the majority into the seconds, 

 they allowed them to go into the cars. There is no grade and pack 

 any more. It has been known that they put poor grapes and good 

 grapes into the same car. It hasn't given encouragement to the 

 good grower. That has been one of the greatest drawbacks that 

 the Union has had to contend with — the growers breaking away 

 and going to the independent buyer. When the Union manage- 

 ment would reject a load, the independent buyer would snap them 

 right up. They were perhaps sold in the same markets as the Union's 

 grapes, perhaps at the same price or a cent less. They were all 

 known as Chautauqua grapes, but the Union's label is not much 

 better than no label. Where we can establish a brand that has a 

 reputation in any market and maintain a pack that can be guaranteed, 

 then we are doing something to build up a trade-mark that is going 

 to be known. A good brand of fruit, as long as it is kept to the 

 high standard, will sell itself. 



A Member: Good graded packing could soon be brought about. 

 There is a tremendous uneasiness among those outside. Oftentimes 

 the market would be glutted with good stock, and the independent 

 buyer would pay what he thought best, usually below the market. 



Mr. Cook: I spoke about different shipping sections conflict- 

 ing. In shipping grapes, there is a large Michigan belt that ships 

 right into our nearby markets. I have known as many as thirty 

 or forty cars of grapes from Michigan to go into the Pittsburgh 

 market in one day. 



A Member : They will get better prices than we do because they 

 are systematic. 



Mr. Cook: They are not getting better prices. I have seen 

 their grapes sell low. The idea of those fellows shipping right into 

 our markets, as you may say, looks wrong to me. It seems that 

 that western fruit belt should find a market further west. Our 

 Association is able to handle a goodly output of almost anything, 

 provided some other association doesn't ship into the same market 

 and break it. That is along the lines we will have to follow to bring 

 about changes that will be of great benefit. 



