The Sentinel=record., 1915-03-21
TESTIMONY CONCERNING THE CONDITIONS OF THE TAFT
 RANCH WAS HEARD.
IS ONE OF THE BlG RANCHES
More Than Half the Farmers Em- ployed on the Ranch in Last Dozen Years Now Own Their own Farms. Employ Mostly Mexican Help.

Dallas, Texas, March 20-The gov enment's inquiry into agricultural conditions in the southwest ended here today after five days taking of testimony by the federal commission on industrial relations.
 Testimony about the Taft ranch in Texas, about land tenants alleged to be victims of their own improvidence. and those said 10 be victims of an ex. pensive middleman system between the farmer and his market were coY- cred at the closing session.
 The principal Taft industry con- sidered was the Coleman4Fulton Pas ture Company of San Patricio county. consisting of six thousand acres under cultivation. Joseph H. Green of Gregory Texas, general manager for the Taft interests in Texas, testified that this company has twenty stock holders and that the stock is worth about S250 per share. Tenants and laborers on the farm, he said, ara mostly MeXicans, with a few Ameri- cans.
 More than half the American farm CTS who have been on this place i'll the past dozen years, he said, have bought their own farms. Of the Mexi- cans, two had bought farms. He said the company had notified all em- ployes they would be discharged if they became candidates for any politi- cal office in the county, and that none were deputy sheriffs.
 Prof Charles II. Alvord of Gregory, superintendent of this farm, testified he'd had known of but one American farmer permitting his wife to work in cotton fields. Mexican women and youths of both sexes worked in the fields, but seldom young Mexican chil- dren. He said Mexican laborers on the place received so cents per day wages, against $1 per day last year. Mexican boys begin earning the full wage at about IA. Most of the labor. he said, was Mexican.
 "W hy don't you employ other labor?' asked Chairman Frank P. Walsh of the commission.
 There is not enough in the couns try" replied Prof Alvord.
 Do you employ Mexicans because you can get them cheaper?"
 No, not necessarily. It depends on the efficiency we get out of them"
 Prof. Alvord testified that the Taft Oil and Gin Company at Gregory is not part of the corporation owning the farm. but that it is a partnership of some of the farm stockholders.
 Dale Walker of Gregory, cotton ginner, asked whether he had any complaint to make about competition from the Taft Oil and Gin Company. replied that it was difficult for him to compete in poor crop years be- cause the cotton from the corpora tion's farm all went to the Taft gin, while 1t was hard for him to get enough outside cotton. He said the farm corporation had the fresh water supply; that in 1913 the price he had to pay for this water made it too ex- pensive for his boiler use. and that he was using salt water.
 Judge NJ. M Brooks of Dallas. a north Texas land owner. said that for several years he has had a standing offer to become security for any of his tenants who will save $1 900 and buy a farm, backing the tenant until the farm is paid for.
 "I never got one man to accept the offer" he said Many have made the $1,O00 but they would blow 1t in. The great lack by tenants in this country is lack of economic sense. have seen them blowing wearing pat ent leather shoes and red socks"
 w. L. Lewis, president of the Texas division Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union, said that farm land values and rents have been ris- ing, while farmers profits have re- mained stationary or decreased, an impossible economic condition. Re- ferring to testimony throughout the five days that farmers pay at least 10 per cent for money he declared no business can run successfully under such an expense. Replying to a ques- ton, he denied that funds for support of the union have been contributed by the Texas Commercial Secretaries' Association.
 Commissioner Wwsa announced