The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-08-08
a Question for Congress:
Industry on Pacific Coast
~ ONGRESS is to decide this question:
u. SIS 1t worth while to continue

r
L. "Is 1t worth while to continue almond growing
walnut growing, lemon growing, and similar produc-
ton on the Pacific coast?'
There 'ony six thousand almond growers, to take
example the smallest industry involved Is it worth
while to protect and encourage six thousand families and
the forty thousand they employ at harvest time living
the land and developing iti The almond growers alone
cultivate 100000 Which has the greater claim
the Congress of the United States thousands of American
families living under American conditions developing the
soil and wealth of California other thousands OF families
the water competing with each other pauper
basis and dumping their products here at price that
would add these American growers to the ranks of the
unemployed"
What is said of the fruit and nut growers of California
applies to millions of other Americans engaged in any
industry in which there is danger in foreign competition
destroy American enterprise There ought to be only
answer to the question.
Shall American workers be idle while foreigners supply
the needs of the United States shall the American
worker first?
Those that demand free trade any cost to
free trade they get, will ask you "How you
expect other countries to buy from if don't buy from
themf'
That is not the important question 1t is how you
expect American workers to live if their work to
foregnersi
If you don't give them chance to work for their living,
how you expect them to remain peaceful and law
abding They won't do it, whether you expect it not
What would Congressman if there were put before
them there ought be- moving pictures showing
almond industry in Spain, which produces sxtyfive per
cent of all the almonds imported in this country and the
almond industry of the United Statesi
The Spanish orchard would show neglected, badly
planted trees the branches beginning fifteen feet up
cultivation speak Of The American orchard
planted long of beehves throughout the orchards to
insure perfect poenation industry most highly developed
picture of small wo-wheeed donkey cart driven by
child old woman. The picture in America would
show powerful caterpillar tractor hauling behind three
huge platform bearing five tons Of almonds, in
bags The donkey cart is driven by child old person,
paid nothing The caterpillar and the wagons report high
American Industry and inventive Are these
WILL CONGRESS- LEGIsLATE FOR THE AMERI-
CAN YEMToR SIX SRI d MECHANIG AND 3o WELL
cART, WORKER OK roh The SPANISH DONKEY
The European plant for Smelling nuts-amonds wal
nuts; another old woman with stone in her lap that
cost nothing and home made wooden mallet cracking the
nuts another old picking out the meat from the
broken shells These Operatives paid twenty-five
cents for day of ten or twelve hours
The California warehouse bleaching and nutsheling
plant shows investment in machinery and buildings
costing three hundred thousand dollars Scrupulous san
ary conditions prevail safe working conditions have been
provided If this plant working hundreds of people
would pr find %f in pt veil Paid 2s ~ x 0sEn
Last year this country sent fifteen million dollars to
Europe for foreign almonds and that closed the
almond industry is true bigger scale of other American
industries, several in California, many throughout the
country.
Congressman may sympathize with poor old women
cracking nuts with wooden malet Inc sympathy noes
credit to their kind hearts But Congressman not hired
to sympathze with workers, the They
sent Congress by American citizens to work for Amer
can citizens protect American workers. and that is what
they ought to do through the tariff and In every other way
The moving picture suggested should include the home
of the American almond grower, where the children
sent to school, where mothers do only the work that
mother of children should do. That American home,
pared to the miserable homes of overworked men, women
and children that make it possible for foreign countries
to underse and destroy American industry would help
the Congressman in their thinking.