The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-05-09
A CANNING PLANT.
Suggestions for Home Industry
That Would Pay.

l
That Would Pay.
To the Editor OF Tho Post.
Alta Iona, Texas, May 4.-Being al
Interested reader of your wide-nwake daily
paper. l note with pleasure your untrinl
advocacy OF manufacturing enterprises
for tho purpose OF developing the natural
resources OF the coast country and build
| ing up her cities.
With your permission would like to
sag word in favor of one particular man
ufaciuring industry, to which have de-
voted my time. almost exclusively. for the
last eight years. l refer to tho canning
industry,
Canned goods have become az staple an
article Of food as bread and butter. or
| sugar and coifeen fact, canned goods are
hero 10 stay. Their consumption is rap
idly increasing and in far greater ratio
than the Increase OF population. Then why
not take advantage OF these conditions to
become self sustaining? We have far
better natural advantages IN thu way OF
soil, climate and ability to produce the
raw material, rs wen as facilities for
reaching the markets OF the world, than
many other localities to whom VIC are nm
nually paying thousands Of dollars to sup
ply us with those articles which we can
produce here in the greatest proluslOu..
II is not long since | noticed in The Post
that II jobbng house in Houston had re
ceived an entire cargo OF canned goods
from an Eastern port tBaltimorcl, where
their soil Is so poor that half dozen
lrishmen and jug Of whisky can't raise
a disturbance ON 1t.
Just so long as We sit supincly down
~. and n.tftN
where people are more enterprising 10 pur-
chase the necossaries Of life. just so long
will we be "hewcrs of wood and drawers
of water" The Other fellow is not go
ing to encourage us TO engage In any en-
terprise that VIII come In competition with
him or curtail the market for his product.
We have got to lifi ourselves by our own
boot straps. so to speak. and what better
time than now, when there Is a general
movement throughout the cities OF Texas
to organize home industry clubs. which
pledge their members TO demand Of deal
ers aud to buy only home made products,
To fellow up a tree II looks ike
placing tho cart before the horse"
Home industry clubs are good. and ]
heartily approve Of them. but before
pledge myself too far IN thar direction ]
want TO know that home industries are
such articles as | need.
AS an evidence OF the waste of raw ma
product alone viz. the strawberry Thou
sands of crates OF this toothsolne berry
we're shipped from this coast country the
present season TO Northern markets that
when they arrived at their destination |
had "whiskors" on them. and were relc-
gated TO the dump, thus ehtaillng great
loss upon the growers.
Every berry that was too tender TO snip |
nnd that was so per cent Of tho crop |
should have been handled by canning fac
tory here and put In convenient form for |
with the assurance that |
thov would arrive at their destination In |
paIatable shape andt hus encourage their
continued cultivation.
Houston is admirably located for lac
tory OF this kind ,.,
ga,e the claims Of this industry, strike the
,nora cant" from their dictionary ana
resolve thai they "can can and must can.
The writer has no lax TO grind neither
friend 10 reward nor enemy to punish IN
,ho mntter. Having cast my lot win tine
,,e,nIa of this coast country, ! simply de-
a. ,o see It's wonderful natural adYan-
,aces developed and its cities built up
Rut have doubtless written enough.
should your Business League desire any
i, 'or,na,ion as TO cost Of plant. capitai
,,c,essry 10 run II. advantages growing
n,,t =, IL. etc, / will cheerfully give H.
out OF ~ WV q. s. Linn.