The Delta independent., 1923-03-30
TO THE FARMERS OF
THE ARKANSAS VALLEY
Greetings:


and privilege of assisting in the con-
sideration of the first sugar tariff bill
in the year 1898. the result of which
was the real foundation upon which
the beet sugar industry of these
United States was builded upon and
has reached such splendid proportions
in so short a period of time. and upon
like tariff depends the future pro-
gress and prosperity of the growers
and industry of the country, and the
writer again having had the opportun-
ity at Washington last summer to as
sist in the consideration of the present
sugar tariff upon which must rest the
future success or failure of the in
dustry for the next two years, and the
reason that while our senators and
congressman endeavored to get high
rate, the eastern people rebelled and
the result is the present tariff, which
was the best that could be done under
the circumstances, and having been
continuous resident Of the valley and
being deeply Interested in the pro-
gress and prosperity of the people and
valley I consider it not only a privi-
lege. but duty to address you briefly
upon this most important subject.
We must not overlook the fact that
there is a surplus and not a shortage
of the worlds grain supply, shortage
only existing in some isolated sec
tions and there is more than enough
to supply those sections from other
countries than the United States.
no million
bushels of wheat on hand she has al
ready delivered some three million
bushels to Germany. France and Eng
land have about recovered normal pro-
duction.
The result of the late war has
driven and is driving many city and
town folks back to the farm. and the
natural result must be within another
year the worlds surplus of farm pro-
ducts such as grain and meat must
be still larger than at the present
time. so the American farmer will be
fortunate indeed to hold and supply
his home market. Let us not fool our
selves that the shortage of cars was
the cause OF the waste of fruit on the
western slope. or the waste Of pota-
toes in the San Luis Valley and Gree
ley. Surely had there been a live
ly market for these products at even
very low profit to the farmers. cars
would have been provided. The truth
is there was surplus of these COM
modities and no substantial market
for them. We all know the result of
last years cantaloupe crop for which
plenty Of cars were furnished. We
must expect under these curcumstan-
ces. every foreign country having
a surplus of any commodity will to
the utmost OF their endeavor try to
sell us their surplus at any price, for
the reason that we have real money
to pay for it, so the result must ma
turally be higher tariff as still
cheaper farm products for the future
unless destructive elements interfere,
such as war or climatic conditions
causing shortage. as the law of sup
ply and demand must always more or
less control prices. Serious warfare
is not likely to occur soon for the
warning nations have not sufficiently
recovered from the late one, to en-
gage in 1t again soon. in fact, it is
just at the last stage of action at the
present time. and where It is now
agitating and disturbing industrial
conditions 1t effects one Of the great
sugar producing sections Of the
world. viz: France and Germany
which naturally is OF advantage to our
sugar industry. So the surest and
must promising crop for our valley at
the present time is the beet sugar
crop, 1t is practically sure Of good
yield II carefully planted In properly
prepared soil and given the proper at
tention. It is q crop that has never
even nearly supplied the people Of the
United States in any one year, in
act only about 26 nercenf Tha hal.