Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-08
No Protective Tariff Needed

'THE speech Of Ex-Governor Sidney J..
Cats before the Southern Tariff
League in Atlanta some ten days or
two weeks ago, in advocacy Of a protective
tariff as means of Saving" the citrus fruit
industry of Florida, impresses the Florida
Times Union as lone of the several amusing
features of the protectionsts' convention
eff the press reports of the meeting are to
be credited Mr.. Cats undertook to show that
Florida fruit and truck growers were in a
terrible way, and the citrus fruit industry es-
pecially was so demoralized on account of
the importations of oranges and grapefruit
from foreign countries, as to bring all con-
cerned near the despair" remarked our Jack
sonville contemporary, getting away from
some rather pointed personal illusions to
Mr.. Cats.
The Times-Union takes issue with the ex-
governor that a high, protective tariff Is nee
essary in order that ruin may not overtake
the owners of orange groves, and denies that
groves are being plowed up to make way for
the cultivation of other crops.
"It must have been an impressive sight to
see this man signing and pleading
for duty-a high tariff-to keep the orange
growers from digging up the trees and plant
ing peanuts" remarks the Times Union.
'It would be hard-hearted grower
indeed who could thus turn under the beau
tiful trees, with their glossy leaves and gold
en- fruit-yet ruin stared them in the face
if they continued to plant care for 'unpro-
tected' orange groves. With foreign coun-
tries sending in an occasional box of inferior
fruit the Florida orange was likely~to be no
longer demanded at living prices. Sad; very
sad!"
But our contemporary regards it far sad
dor t11of Io y
pie who do not know that the citrus fruit
industry in Florida is not only flourishing,
but is stable and expanding steadily. Not
single citrus fruit tree has been knowingly
destroyed anywhere in Florida in years for
any cause, and recently "an advertisement
appearing in many newspapers showed that
the product of a certain grove has sold
oranges this season as high as SGT box"
The Times-Union continues:
Just to show that the status Of the cit
rus industry is not critical mention can
be made of a single grove that is now
being planted 1t is located in Polk coun-
ty, where there are thousands of fine
groves, and many large ones; but the one
that is called Mammoth" by local news
papers is to contain seven thousand
acres! Six thousand acres are being set
in orange trees of a single variety, the
famous King oranges; the one thousand
acres will contain oranges and grapefruit
or every known variety. This is not
dream or imaginary grove-hundreds of
men are now at work upon it, and they
are setting twenty acres day. Orange
and grapefruit groves have sold during
the winter whenever offered, at prices
ranging from $500 to $4,000 an acre.
The observations of our Jacksonville con-
temporary are calculated to deude those mis-
guided delegates to the convention of the
southern Tariff League who believe that the
citrus fruit industry of Florida is concerned
seriously with high, protective tariff as
means of protecting it against foreign COM
petition. The citrus fruit growers of Florida
are abundantly able to compete with the mar
kets or the world, and the talk of a pro-
tectlVe tariff fools only those who desire to
be fooled and who are inspired by selfish mo-
tlVes IN pleading for protection.