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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1959)
2 MAIL TrTBUNE, Medfori, Or. A ThunJay, Aug. 13, 195 fL' till ' i JT - " , 3 y' ' STUDENT PACKER Student packer, Pa tricia Barber, 18-year-old daughter of Mrs. William Barber, Central Point, who is an experienced packer, receives instruction from Supervisor Mrs. Mabel Penland. Chet Guches, chairman of the vocational pear packing school committee, supervises the school on behalf of the Fruit Growers League and the Medford Pear Shippers association. Mrs. Penland has been in charge of instruction since 1946. PRACTICE These students at the voca tional pear packing school practice during the 36-hour course. More than 85 students, all women, were graduated from the in dustry-schools sponsored classes this year. Nearly all will find employment in the local packing plants. Wooden pears are used by student packers. Fruit Harvest Finds 85 More Packers in Medford Vicinitv jl jp The 19o9 Medford pear packing season will find about 85 more qualified packers ready to help out as a result of one of the most unique schools in the country. ' It is the Vocational Packing school conducted each year to train local residents in the complicated art of efficient, careful pear packing. The course is sponsored by the Jackson County Fruit Grow ers League, Medford Pear Shippers association and the Oregon state department of vocational education in co operation with Medford public schools. "Fruit packing is a highly skilled trade and requires cer tain qualifications that not Wagoneers Keep Dundee Schedule Amity - (LTD - The Oregon Centennial wagoneers kept Wednesday night's schedule at the Dundee camp at a mini mum, storing up their energy for the triumphant arrival at Independence Saturday. The wagons pushed out at 6 aan. today for the 17-mile trip and overmght encamp ment here. The wagons made 25 miles Wednesday. Lunch and supper were provided at the Dundee school grounds camp by Dun dee residents and the modern pioneers retired early. Wagon train member Ivan Hoyer of Cottage Grove, news director for the trek, reported that many of the 59ers were expressing regret that the trip was soon to end but also were looking forward to returning to their homes for a much- needed rest. Twenty-eight persons of the original 30 that started from Independence, Mo., last April will finish the journey. Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Blair, Sheri dan, dropped out in Wyoming, Mrs. Blair became ill at Rock Springs and returned to Sheri dan and Blair left the train at Kemmerer to join her. Yaquina Planning Funds Get Approval Washington (UPD A con ference committee on the pub lic works appropriation bill Wednesday approved SIOO.OOO for pre-construction planning funds for the Yaquina bay. and harbor project in Oregon, Rep. Walter Norblad (R-Ore.) reported. He said the committee also approved $63,000 for continu ation of the Monmouth-Dallas reclamation project study. everyone possesses, but those that master it are able to earn good wages.' This statement in a special bulletin to the students reveals the single purpose of the school ... "to give local people an oppor tunity to learn how to pack pears." One of Few in Country V The course has been oper ated here for more than 20 years, and is one of the few of its type in the nation. Over the years it has helped train a large number of local pack ers to supplant those who, for various reasons, have dropped out of the labor market. Chet Guches, chairman of the packing school for the Fruit Growers League, report ed that this year's class of 85 is the smallest ' in several years. The classes were held at Southern Oregon Sales packing house in Medford. Supervisor of the school is Mrs. Mabel Penland, Medford, who has had charge of in struction since 1946. She is assisted by five veteran pack ers who serve as instructors. They are Mrs. Walter Jensen, Mrs. Richard Singler, Mrs. Walter Wilson, Mrs. George Bourne, and Mrs. Wayne Smith. The instructors assist in checking each student on various phases of the course including sizing, wrapping, neatness and correct count in packing. Fiv Years Work Guches, a staff member of Southern Oregon Sales, said that records indicate a person trained by the school will work an average of five years as a packer, but there are many who return year after year. Some who have dropped out of the packing trade for several years take a refresher course and usually find a placement. Most of those registered in the course this year are house wives who seek only seasonal worK, ana are welcome re placements for those who are not returning this season, the chairman noted. Students ' pay a nominal registration fee of $3 and the balance of the expense is borne by the packing house who sponsors the student. The cost per student is about $12 for the 36 hour course of in struction, Guches said Specialized Trad To the casual observer, packing a box of pears would seem to be a simple task, but in practice it is a highly specialized trade The students learn first to wrap the pear in such a way that the elongated neck and stem is protected by a fold of paper. The bulk of the wrap is then twisted and tucked under in. one motion to form a cushion for the pear. At the f-Medford pear packing school wooden pears of various sizes are used to simulate" the actual fruit. They have proved to be a most satisfactory training device since they are lathe turned to conform closely to an actual pear shape. Following the course in wrapping the student turns to the actual packing operation. This is where the student learns to judge the weight of the box for different sizes of pears to prevent reject and repacking for over or under weight boxes. Time, Experience Only time, and experience can be relied upon here, since quick judgment and selection of the appropriate size of pear can make the boxes come out within the tolerances allowed. Deft hands and an exper ienced eye for judging sizes is the mark of an expert packer. It is a mark that doesn't come the first year. It may take as long as three years for a packer to achieve top efficiency and speed. A good pear packer turns out from 100 to 110 boxes in an eight hour day. Expert packers can turn out from 125 to 150 boxes per day. A rate of at least 100 boxes per day is desired by most pack ing plants, and those who can pass the requirements of the Medford Vocational Pear Packing school can usually be assured of a job their first year. And if they become really proficient, they can be assured annual employment during the packing season. Juodd water. Smooth itorth with spring-frtsh bagrancm pcntfratts fabrics evenly. Makes washables look and feel like new. 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