Imperial Valley press., 1921-08-04
Entire State Supports Growers
In Senate Fight For
5 and IS Cent Duty

San Francisco-Making their last
desperate stand in the Senate to win
-rom Congress the absolutely neces-
;ary fenlinimum almond tariff duty OF
ave and fifteen cents. 1000 California
farmers cultivating almond orchards
are fallying statewide support to
their aid in the fight which means
prosperity or financial rain to SO many
II them.
Defeated in the House. despite the
energetic efforts of the entire Cali
iornia Congressional delegation. the
States almond farmers are confronted
With critical situation with the heav
est crop in the history OF California
almond culture ready to be harvested
and no assurance that the American
.hellad almond marked will be ade
.dately projected for them.
The House wrote into the Fordpey
aTif b.ll four and twelve cent duty
IN unshelled and shelled almonds, a
bitter disappointment to the almond
growers, whose demands for Ave cents
On unshelled and fifteen cents on she'll
ID almonds were the absolute mini
mum necessary to protect the AmeTi-
an shelled almond market for Ameri-
an farmers.
Oar last hope lies in the Senate"
ieOrge W. Pierce, the seventy-two-
year old president OF the California
Almond Growers Exchange declared
lere. Our faith is pinned on Sena-
tors Hiram W. Johnson ana Samuel II.
Shortridge. who We feel certain can
convince Chairman Boies Penrose and
other members OF the Senate Finance,
Committee of the justice and merit of
our claims for the minimum five and
fifteen cent rate. On our two Cali
forEia senators now falls the burden
VI saving from the disastrous effects
o. competition with the peasant grow
ers OF Southern Europe California
100000 almond trees on 100000
lcres, producing an annual crop
worth $4,000, 900.
1T IS disheartening to read the
scores of letters from almond farm
ers who have invested their life saw
lilsS anu cal > vi lOli anu SdCIlnCS Ill
little almond orchards, and now view
with dismay the prospect Of having to
uproot these trees. The House four
and twelve rate gained important
ground for the growers, as it conced-
ed our basic claim of the principle of
q natural three to one shelling ratio,
but the four and twelve expression OF
= 81 a.
Of peasant produced European al
monds which annually browns out
the California farmer in the almond
markets of his own country"
The almond growers had scarcely
recovered from the disappointment
OF their defeat in the House when
word was receivd from Washington
that Senate action on the Fordney
bill would be rushed. This once more
caused confusion in the ranks of the
almond farmers, who had counted on
a breathing spell of several weeks In
which to map their plans for present
ing to the Senate Finance Committee
a strong case in support OF their fve
and fifteen cent demands. zs-
Washington advices are that the
Senate Finance Committee will devote
comparatively short time to hear
Ings, giving attention only to seriously
contested items or those showing rad
ical defects. The bill VIII then be
! reported to the Senate and hasteued
to vote. AS result of this rapid
action. aid given the almond growers
in their serious situation. 10 bs ef
teesiye: must bs says4 81 saSs. Pierce
pointed egt al4aA.z..sasasiA Azssi :.