Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-21
VALLEY ASKS
Laws TO HELP
CITRUS FRUIT
Four Measures to Come
Before Next Session of
Legislature; None are
Now in Force
BY r l.. SEXTON


The coming session of the legislature
will be asked to pass at least four meas
ures pertaining to the citrus industry
in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Citrus
fruit production in commercial uuanti-
ties is a comparatively new industry in
this state, and there are no laws upon
our statutes applying directly to the
needs of the industry, and it is the in
tention of the growers of the Rio
Grande Valley to see that this condition
is rectified.
Both California and Florida have sur
rounded the industry with legal safe
guards which have been important fac
tors in promoting the development of
the industry in those states. The time
is now ripe for Legislative action, and
the Texas legislature will this year be
called upon to pass at least four laws
directly affecting the industry and sur
rounding it with the safeguards that
Florida and California possess.
Under existing laws there is nothing
to prevent Florida and California from
shipping infected fruit into Texas.
Both of the older citrus growing sec
tions have apparently taken cognizance
of the fact that the Lower Rio Grande
Valley, and in fact most of Texas, will
in a year or two use none but Valley
grown fruit, and the inferior grades
they are shipping into the state signify
that they are making no effort to hold
this territory on their marketing list.
Texas is now regarded as a dumping
ground" by the shippers of those states.
Practically all of the fruit shipped in
is of the poorer grades, much Of it be
ing rated as culls. The fruit is covered
with all varieties of scale, presenting
a menace to the industry in the Lower
Rio Grande Valley which demands legis-
lative action.
Production in the Valley is still too
limited to permit the passage of a gem
eral measure designed to place the en-
tire state within the limits of an en-
barge area, but it is obvious that at
least the southern section should be
protected. The law now contemplated
would give to the commissioner OF ag-
ricultrre the option of applying the
quarantine to such sections Of the
state as may be considered necessary.
This law, however, will be designed
merely to give temporary protection.
BY the time the 1927 legislature convenes
production in the Valley will be suf@
ficient to fill all demands of the state,
and the quarantine could then be made
statewide, the same as in Florida or
California.
ssza l Immature Fruit Shipments.
Both California and Florida have laws
prohibiting the shipment of immature
fruit, fruit that does not come up to the
sugar and acid content test, and the in
dustry in the Valley demands the pass
age of a similar law in Texas. The
Florida Legislature this year will be
called upon to pass a more stringent
law than the one now in effect, a law
which will absolutely prevent the flood
ing of the markets with immature fruit
that does not come up to certain speci-
fled standards. Up to last season the
law had never been strictly enforced in
Florida, but when the shippers pounded
down the markets in 1924 by shipping
hundreds of thousands of boxes of i'm
mature or low grade fruit the state
authorities were aroused to the i'm
mense injury being done to the states
leading industry. This season the an
nouncement was made that the law
would strictly enforced, but some Of
the growers considered the announce
ment a bluff" with the result that
thousands of boxes of immature fruit
ready for shipment were confiscated.
Florida growers and shippers were
aroused as never before. The industry
had sustained a loss of millions of dol
lars as a result of the operations Of the
.sooners" the previous year, and they
gave the state authorities their full CO.
operation in suppressing the practice.
The result of their activities has been
to give the Florida fruit added prestige
on the markets. Consumers know that
the fruit they purchase must come up to
a certain specified standard and that