The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-16
ABOUT TEXAS MADE GOODS.
by an Investigation
Of
ny n. q. FosTER.)

tBY N. Z. FosTER.)
I asked member OF one OF Houston
largest wholesale grocery firms to give me
| a list OF all the Texas made goods sold by
his house.
After looking through book contain
ing the description and price OF two OF
three hundred different articles he handed
me this list Of home milled or manufac-
tured products:
Bagging.
Brooms.
Baking powder.
Candy.
Catsups.
Cakes and crackers.
Cigars.
Flour, meal and grits.
Hams and other hog products.
jellies.
Macaroni and vermicelli.
Molasses and syrups.
Paper and paper bags.
Rice.
Soap.
Sugar.
That is all. Less than twenty products
of Texas make or manufacture offered for
sale by jobbing house that deals In two
hundred or more different articles. The
the sale OF groceries and other articles
made in Texas did not constitute over 2
per cent OF their business. That the great
bulk of their trade was in goods they
brought to Texas from other States.
What is told by this wholesale house Is
repeated by others In Houston and else
where throughout the State. 1t is not be-
cause these firms do not want TO sell
Texas made goods, but because the home
articles are not to be found.
\ \
1t Is for these reasons that The Post Is
urging industrial diversiflcation. An OK
animation into any line of wholesale bust
ness in Texas will show that the greater
part of our trade consists in the distribu-
ton of goods made outside the State. A
examination will also show that
two thirds of these articles could and
should be made in Texas towns and cities.
In the light of these facts doesn't 1t
seem absolutely necessary that more small
plants be established In
Houston and other Texas cities before
there can be anything like diversity Of
crops in this State? Isn't industrial ex-
pansion and diversification bound to come
before there can be any real and lasting
crop Investigation? Do you think It pos
n the present agricultural methods until
he cities begin to utilize more farm pro-
lucts?
Just glance again at that little list OF
Texas made goods handled by a whole
ale grocery firm OF Houston. You will
zee. for one example. that canned goods
re not on the list. And yet the wholesale
,rocers of Houston sell thousands and
thousands OF cases of canned fruits and
vegetables every year. | remember re-
ording year or SO ago that two firms In
his city combined their purchases for one
eason and bought an entire ship load of
aimed goods from Baltimore factory.
ust think of the money that was sent out
+ the State in that one deal
Texas buys enough canned goods from
he North and East each year to keep
ere all in the State few thousand
armers could quit raising cotton and be-
in cultivating fruits and vegetables to
lpply the market that would be thus es-
,blished.
Such canning plants could be easily
rected in this State and they could be
lade 10 pay. Not only would they give
ork TO hundreds of people in that line
business, but they would open up the
venues of employment for several hun
red farmers who could, devote their time
nd labor TO the cultivation of products
, be utilized by these factories.
This is only one industry that needs to
Q developed in Texas Look at the ar |
cles you eat and wear, and see how few |
them are made at home. Try to mag
@ the amount of money is sent from
SAdo auAudiiS w pus Spoio tudt cuulu |
, manufactured here
Think of how much we are doing to |
'omote Northern and Eastern industries |
ID how little to develop home factories.
0 wonder the farmers in those other
ates plant diversity of crops. 1t is
ny easy 10 make diversified crops where
ere arc diversified markets Where the
mand is created the sensible farmer
eds no other inducement to raise pro-
let's that will net him profit.
There are thousands of sensible farmers
Texas. and they know great deal
ore about crop diversiiication than the
ople who have been giving them advice
the subject for the last twenty years.
soon as an Industry Is started in Texas
at calls for certain raw product the
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