The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-17
WELCOMED TO HOUSTON.
Secretary Of Agriculture Wilson Arrived
Yesterday.
THINKS SOUTH TEXAS A GREAT COUNTRY
ne Talks interestingly Concerning
the Rice, Sugar and Tobacco
Industries,

A. X. moore. Wllllau fIhTWouu, w. ~
Moore. Seth B. Strong, F. w. schwett-
mann, II. w. Garrow. Jr.. Cabeen Blake
and a Post representative left yesterday
over the Southern Pacific at $40 a. m. to
meet Secretary OF Agriculture Wilson at
Lake Charles and accompany him to Hous
ton. The trip was made without delay
and at 1890 o'clock the party arrived and
took return passage on the special which
had been rendered Secretary Wilson BY
the Southern Pacific company. The spe-
cial's party from New Orleans consisted OF
Hon James E. Wilson, his son. J. w VIII
son, Mr.. S. f. B. Morse, general passenger
agent; Mr.. Thornwell Fay, assistant to
general manager; Mr.. II. H. Ahrens, of the
passenger department of New Orleans MIR.
Henry Mayo. chief of the literary bureau
al New Orleans: Mr.. David Hollingsworth.
private secretary to General Passenger
Agent Morse. and Mr.. A. Chenault, Of New
Orleans. The car which the party occu-
pied was that of President Harvey of the
New Orleans and Northeastern and had
been rendered Mr.. Wilson tor the trip.
The first stop made by the special after
leaving New Orleans was at Crowley, La,
where Secretary Wilson inspected the rice
farms and pumping plants Of Messrs. Du
son Brothers, From this point they went
to Jennings La. and there Secretary Will
son made an address to one Of the largest
audiences ever assembled in that city. He
spoke upon the present and future posi-
bliues of that section as a rice growing
country. The next stop was at Lake
Charles, La. where the party spent Monday
night They were given a banquet by the
citizens Of that city yesterday morning and
the people turned out onmasse to receive
Mr. Wilson. Upon returning to the train
the party found the observatory car beau
tifully decorated with choice flowers. the
gift OF Mrs Knapu AT this point the
Houston delegation took them In charge
and without a stop. except for water and
meeting points for. other trains. came to
Houston, where a delegation of citizens
was in waiting to welcome the distinguish
ed guest He was driven to the Capitol
hotel and given apartments
~
TO Post representative Secretary VIII
con talked freely during the trip from
Lake Charles to Houston. He stated that
the object OF his visit to the Southern
States was to learn more of the people and
their ways and modes of agriculture and
TO try and help them in any way that they
might see fit to ask the services of his de-
partment. He was much impressed with
tbs country through which he passed In
speaking of the vast tracts of uncultivated
lands along the Southern Pacific road he
said: 1T is not possible that this rich
and fertile land can remain untenanted
yh ott~ Np,- !, Il
are crowded at home need them ana dare
say that the time is not far distant wher
the Southern Pacific and other roads viii
be forced TO build double tracks In order
TO handle the products which Will be RAISED
on these lands
Il have carefully investigated the rice
and sugar plantations of Louisiana ana
now wish to see the tobacco and fruit
growing lands OF Texas. This IS not a trll
OF pleasure or enjoyment. that Is In the
sense the terms are used, but il 1t were
the big hearted Southern people would cal
for all the time | have allowed myself foi
work IN accepting their generous hospi.
tality. | am here for the purpose of com.
ing IN direct contact with the men who
work in their shirt sleeves and TO hell
mem IN any way possible. The govern,
ment gives me all the money | ask for H
making experiments that Will be of assist
nnce TO these people. and IL scieutiH,
knowledge Is needed to show them wha
Is required TO adapt the new crops to Won
SOILS am ready 10 send such an eXper
mere, and II necessary will do So There 4
In Southeast Texas all the conditions neces
sarS 10 raise rice, tobacco ana sugar, an,
from what can learn of the best oualitv
ana the government gives a bounty or i'm
poses tarih so that we can raise an on
Own people need and need not import tn
millions now brought to this country. WDcr
we raise all that we use then we can satei,
take of all bountles and tariffs ana Amer
lean competition will keep the price down
And then. too the trusts can not come
the markets.
In late years our sugar Imports hav
amounted TO more than 500 000. 900 an
nually of rice and rice meal. s., 7I6 $50 il
1898, OF tobacco our imports in 1898 wer
$1,000 900, in 1895 they were SIS 900 0OC
In 1896 they were $4,000 GOO and in lS9
they were 100000 600
Northern States and Texas Will SEQ
,egin to mako enough sugar to supply tina
which is imported and Texas alone shul
close up the gap on rice and ,obacco III
Iotal agricultural imports into the Unite
states for 1898 were 1914, POI ,796. The u
tal agricultural exports for 1898 wer
SS5S ,5O7, 492. Total exports Of American
products for 1898 were $I.21o, 900, 600 Il
round numbers In round numbers the TO
tai imports into the United States for ts9
we're less than half that amount
Besides the thpee products nave mon
TONED, Texas should produce all the Re
the State new uses The agricultural de
partment is aiding this industry In Sont
Carolina. Last year a flfty-acre fari
grew $500 pounds Of black tea, which sol
for 81 pound. We are now aiding thel
in new process for curing green te
without the aid OF chemicals
The lands and climate of South Tex,
are especially adapted to raising this sta
pie. and propose as a result OF this Wis
that the experiment shall be made here.
Then, again, instead OF shipping cotto
seed meal away from home, creamerie
should be erected and the meal fed to COW
here All the butter and oheese used
the State could be made within its bord r
and that. toc. az several cents less b,
pound than is being paid for Northern an
Western products"
Secretary Wilson furnishes some vel
interesting official figures regarding cote
mills He said: Tho statistics for is.
shcw that Texas has only four cotton mil
with 2TI20 spndles South Carolina n,
seventy-one mills with 1.2O5.272 spindle
North Carolina has 1873 cotton mills II
explanation for the record IN favor OF Il
Carolinas as against Texas was that TeAi
was comparatively new State n q
home capitalists would show a dispoaitli
10 enRaQo n rnanufortftrfno aptarnr;rs