Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-10-28
The Valley Needs Capital

The Lower Rio Grande Valley is greatly interested
L tbs bankers who arrive in the Valley today as the
guests Of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Bankers as
sceiation, and the Valley will frankly admit that it
hopes the bankers will be interested in the Valley.
Among those bankers who have been attending the
American Bankers association convention in Houston
and who have awaited themselves Of the opportunity
to visit the lower Rio Grande country, are representa-
tives from some Of the strongest financial institutions
in the East; others are from the agricultural areas Of
the North and West. Never in the history Of the
low~r border has a more representative group of finan-
cial leaders visited this section, and the Valley is con-
fident that as a result Of this trip they will be i'm
pressed with the almost unlimited possibilities of the
fertile winter garden of the world, the ambition Of its
people 10 make it the most productive area in the
United States, and the energy OF those pioneers and
developers who have virtually hewn the present de-
velopment from a wilderness OF mesquite and cactus.
The Valley will admit that its development may
appear rather crude and primitive in comparison with
that attained in Florida or California, which have been
the recipients Of q steady stream Of Northern and
Eastern money. But the fact should be taken into con-
sideration that the present development OF the Val.
ley represents the almost unaided efforts Of the
pioneers and those they attracted to this region, and
that less than fifteen years ago practically the entire
area now covered with vigorous citrus fruit orchards,
or cultivated for winter vegetables and staple crops,
and even the sites of some Of the thriving cities, was
nothing but a tangle Of brush and cactus.
In view Of the limited capital available the devel-
opment that has been attained in the Lower Rio Grande
Valley has been one of the greatest achievements in
the history Of American pioneering. 1t has been found
ed and expanded upon one basis-an extremely fertile
soil, an abundance of water for irrigation and a elm
ate unrivalled. Agriculture. the basic industry Of the
nation, is the foundation upon which the Valleys pros
perity and development is firmly established, and when
the fact is taken into consideration that the fruit and
vegetable tonnage shipped last year from the two
counties OF Cameron and Hidalgo was equal to 20 per
cent of the tonnage of the entire state Of Florida, the
possibilities of the Valleys fertile soil may be compre-
hended. These counties are now less than 25 per cent
development, and maximum development Of their agri-
cultural resources would result in a tonnage almost
equal to that Of the entire state Of Florida.
While the Valley admits that its development Is
still rather primitive. it has no apologies to offer. Val
ley people are proud Of what they have accomplished
through their almost unaided efforts. They have the
ambition and spirit TO ultimately bring the entire area
under intensive cultivation and make the Valley the
greatest food producing area in the world. To accom-
plish this the Valley needs more people and more
capital. There is room here for thousands Of farmers;
raw material for scores Of industries; opportunities for
commercial and importing and exporting firms. The
Valley needs them, and sincerely hopes that the bank
ers will fully comprehend the Valleys vision Of the
future.