Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-21
WALSH HEARING
At DALLAS ENDS
FARM INQUIRY
Taft Ranch and Competition
in Agricultural Lines Subject
Of Testimony Taken at Last
Session,

isr soHnisa JOURNAL SPECIAL trAsrn wisrt
Dallas, Tex, March 20. "A gov
eminent inquiry into agricultural
conditions In the southwest ended
] here today after five days taking OF
/ testimony by the United states com
mission on industrial relations Tes-
| timonY concerning the Taft ranch i'm
! Texas, regarding land tenants alleged
to DE victims Of AN expensive mid
dlcman system between the farmer
/ and his market. was covered AT the
| closing session
The principal Taft industry con-
sldcred was ,hn Coleman Fulton PAS
| tuflRe company OF san Patricio
| county consisting of 5000 acres
/ under cultivation Joseph H. Green,
| Of Gregory, TcX- general manager
| for the Taft interests bon Texas. testi-
| fled that the company has twenty
stockholders ana the stock Is worth
about $3.50 per share. Tenants ana
labOrcrs on the farm, he said. arc
mostly MeNcans, with "a few Amerl-
cans More than half the American
farmers who have been on this place
iH the last dozen years. he said have
bought their own farms OF the
Mexicnns NO had bought farms. He
said the company had not notified
al employees they would be discharg-
ed If they became candidates for any
political office in the county.
Not Workers la Cotton Fields.
Prof Charles II Alvord of Greg
DRY superintendent Of the farm. tes-
Titled he had known Of but one
American farmer permitting his wife
10 work In cotton fields. Mexican
women and youths of both sexes
worked In the field, but seldom young
Mexican children. He said Mexican Ia
bnrers on the place receive so cents
day, against 81 per day last year
Mexican boys begin earning the fun
wage at about "a Most of the labor
he said was Mexican
why don't You employ other la
Dor " asked Chairman Frank T.
walsh Of the commission.
There rs not enough in the coun-
Try, replied Professor AlyOrd.
DO you employ MeXicans because
You can get them cheaper"
NO, not necessarily. II depends on
the efficiency we get out OF them"
Professor Alyord testified that the
Iuit on q Gin Co at Gregory. is not
part OF the corporation owning the
ldfm but that II Us a partnership of
Competition severe.
Dale Walker. of GREGORY. a cotton
ginncr, was asked whether ne had any
complaint to make about competition
from he TAFT oil % Gin Co He re-
piled that Il was difficult for him To
compete Ia poor crop years because
The cotton from he corporations
farm all went To the Taft gin. while il /
was hard for him 20 get enough out /
side cotton. lie said the farm cor |
poration controlled the fresh water
supply, ana that IN 1913 the price he I
mad To pay for this water made II too |
expensive for boiler use, ana that he /
was using salt water.
Judge NJ. NJ Brooke. OF Dallas. "A
north Texas land owner. said for sew
,ral years he has had a standing offer
10 become security for any of his ten
lnts who will save 81 900 and buy u
arm, backing the tenant until the
arm Is paid for
II never got ono man 10 accept the
iffcr' he said "Many have made the
900 but they would spend IT, Tho
,ront lack by tenants in this country
% lack Of economic sense have
loen them blowing wearing patent
Gather shoes aud red socks
impossible Economic Condition.
w l.. Lewis president of the Texas
iivision farmers educational ana CO.
operative union, said that farm land
'alues and rents have been rising,
while farmers profits have remained
stationary or declined, an impossible
economic condition.
Referring To- testimony throughout
he FIVE days, that farmers nay at
east 10 per cent for money he said
10 business can run successfully m ,
Ter such an expense y
Replying 70 q question he denied s
hat funds for special union have been
hy the Texas Commercial
secretaries association
Commissioner Walsh announced J
hat many valuable suggestions had {
'een received by mail during the hear i
ng, that they would be considered
with the other record, and that the Z
commission would be pleased to have /
urther suggestions at Chicago ;