Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-01-03

318
THE ALAMO LUMBER COMPANY

cane sugar factories in Louisiana and
Texas.
All of these factories would be ruined
and put out of business and their factory
employees thrown out of work.
In addition to the factories, there are
100000 acres Of land in sugar beets, and
400, 900 acres in sugar cane plantations
in the United States. Thus an enor
nous number of farmers and a large
agricultural population would, from nee
essity, have to change their method Of
gaining a livelihood and revert to the
growing of less profitable crops.
The persistent agitation from certain
quarters by interested or unthinking par
ties for the reduction or removal of the
sugar tariff, and the resultant feeling Of
insecurity and instability in the bust
ness, works a great hardship to the
American people at large, for, as a on
sequence, capital hesitates to embark
further in the industry, and thus agricul-
turists are denied the possibility of
growing sugar producing plants to the
extent of the peoples requirements. This
would be an accomplished fact, in a very
few years, could capital be assured that
the present tariff would remain undis-
turbed.
The only gamers by the reduction or
removal of the sugar tariff would be the
r%efiners, notably, the American Sugar
Refining Company. Congress is wei:
aware of the magnanimity of this
mammoth corporation, from its partial
exposure in the recent investigation, and
it cannot be conceivable that the demo
cratic party would ~inaugurate its aces
sion to power by enacting tariff ligisla-
ton to uphold the sugar trust and in
crease its power to an absolute mOnopo-
~ of the sugar business in the United
States, as against the interests of the
people of the whole country.
The future of the sugar industry i'm the
State of Texas depends entirely upon the
tariff being maintained.
Sugar is rapidly becoming one of Tex
as great industries.
In the Rio Grande Valley alone sew
eral millions of dollars are invested in
the business, and -four new factories nave
recently been completed, one Of which
commenced grinding last season, and
two of them this season. +
We have just received an apprOpria-
ton from the United States government
to aid in sugar experiment work, and we
are now requesting the state legislature
to make an annual appropriation of $25,-
600 for the establishment and mainten-
ance of a sugar experiment station, but
to what end are our efforts. should c0n-
gress see fit to materially reduce or re-
move the tariff? Our growing industry
would be irretrievably ruined, and the
sugar growing sections of the state, i'll
Guiding the Lower Rio Grande Valley,
would receive a set back from which it
would take decades to recover.
We, therefore, %strenuously request YOU
as a democrat, representing democratic
constituents, to urge upon the leaders Of
the party i'll congress the dire disasters
that will be brought upon your cOnsti-
tuents and the people of the state Of
Texas i'll the event the tariff on sugar is
removed or materially reduced, and we
ask that you do everything possible to
oppose such reduction in conversation
with your colleagues, in committee, and
on the floor of the house, and we pray
that your efforts may be successful. Re-
specially,
RIO GRANDE CANE GROWERS. AS
ISOLATION, X
BY II. G. Wharton, Secretary.
Note-All statistics in foregoing have
been taken from senate document No.
preSS. Sugar AT q Glance.