San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-23
Denies That He Will Rep
resent Interests of Land
Companies.
TO CHALLENGE CHARGE
Senator Heflin's Resolu-
ton Charging Fraud
Branded as False.
Brownsville Tex. March pa. b.

Grande Valley at the open hearing IN
the investigation resulting from the
Helm resolution, which will start in
Washington Monday, March III.
Mayor Cole departed Thursday in or
der to be in Washington when the
committee calls the first session. Pra3-
tically every valley community has
contributed in financing this nov,
| and Mr.. Cole goes to Washington
with instructions TO defend the valley
against all slanderers, knockers" AMI
those districts which see in the won
derful development of the Rio Grande
Delta a formidable competitor in the
future.
Il want it distinctly understood
\ that l am not goin: TO Washington as
the representative of any land COM
| pany or group of companies" Mr..
Cole stated. The land companies can
fight their own battles. l am 60
ing as the representative of the Rio
Grande Valley. and my efforts will be
directed toward proving to the salts
faction of the public that the SANDER
Gus allegations contained in the first
section of the Helm resolution, to the
effect that this valley is not a profit
able agricultural section: that its irri-
CATION systems are inefficient, and
that half is overflow land, are without
| foundation"
To Uphold Name.
Mayor Cole has resided in the valley
twenty years, has served eight years
IS mayor of Brownsville. and there is
probably no man who has kept more
closely in touch with the valleys de-
yelopment. At no time has he beer
\ connected with or represented land
company, and in this respect no con-
tentioI can be made that he will pre-
sent prejudiced view. He has or
| sani=ed all but one of the water i'm
provement districts OF Cameron coun-
~, and at present represents five Of
them in the calacity of attorney. He
is intimately acquainted with every
phase of the valleys problems. an !;
will be in position to give the invetSi-
eating committee facts and figures
which cannot be doubted.
The valley is not interested in the
political phases OF this investigation. ="
Siayor Cole continued. "What we are
interested in is maintaining the val
,cy's good name; TO prove that the
| valley is the most fertile and pro-
Guctiye region of the United States !;
that it offers opportunities to en-
ergy. industry and capIral such as no
other section offers. L know this is
valley of contented people. of happy
homes. of wonderful opportunities. and
il is extremely unfortunate that IT
| should be made the target for SLAM
der.
Evidences of Fraud.
There have been frauds perpetrated
in the valley-the Stewart case at
Kansas City proved that beyond til,
shadow Of doubt-but that is no rea-
son why the entire valley should be
made the target for SANDER. | have
no doubt that the majority Of land
companies have been and are now do
ing n legitimate business. There aie
thousands Of contented farmers in the
valley today who were brought here
by the land companies. and these farm
ers, thorugh their industry. are max
ing the valley the garden spot of tho
United States. To condemn all the
land companies would be no more
logical than TO condemn all the off
Gals in Washington because recent in
vestigatiOns have practically proven
that some of them were mixed up in
fraudulent deals"
1t is very probable that the hear
ings in Washington will not continue
more than n week or ten DAYS. after
which the committee is expected -
take evidence at various points. in
tclusing Kansas City. coming fhom
that place TO the valley. No def
mite program for the valley hearin;
will be made, but the committee is
expected to visit all sections of the
valley and ascertain the real facts
concerning conditions.
Nothing TO Conceal.
81 will make every possible effort
t. expedite the departure of the eocl'
mittee from Washington. Mayor Cole
etated, "as / am confident that the
valley itself will be the best evidence
they Gan find. Our citrus groves. thu
thousands of acres of cotton and truck
our efficient irrigation systems, are III
themselves the best evidence of what
the valley has done and can do. We
have nothing to conceal-and we ar,
prOud Of what we have to show"
The suggestion has been made that
certain sections of the country. which
see in the Rio Grande Valley a fu.
ture rival in the fruit and vegetable
markets of the North and East. will
seize upon this investigation as 8
means of discrediting the valley AMI
aggrandizing themselves in the eyes
of the public. To prevent this and
to present the actual facts in rcla
ton to the agricultural and economic
conditions obtaining in the valley will
be the burden Of Mayor Coles mis-.
sion. Referring to this phase. Mayor
Cole stated that "there is no othei
part of the country where the actua
facts, properly presented, would prove
more confusing TO those who seek to
SANDER it,"
THE impression has gone out" be
continued. THAT the Rio Grande Val
ley is inhabited chiefly by land COM
panies which prey upon unsuspectina
victims brought in from the North
and to prove that this impression
created by the Heflin resolution, is
wholly contrary to the facts, will be
by principal object.
at would be the height Of folly for
the valley to permit its detractors tC
have a clear field before the investi-
eating committee, to have no one pres
ent TO challenge or refute evidence
which would reflect upon the valley;
fertility and development. and which
might be entirely irrelevant so far rs
the charges against the land com
panies are concerned
Several of the valley land com
panics will Also be represented at tn.
hearings in Washington by their at
torneys. and number of valley resi-
idents will be called to the capital e