Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-20
TEXAS DAILY PRESS LEAGUE
Foreign Advertising Representatives
Vegetable Grade Necessary

= tsdo-sl division Of Standardization and grades
bas a representative in the Valley working out o""
Grades for citrus fruit, and this program Is reeeNias
The almost unanimous cooperation OF eNf1s
growers and shippers. The Rio Grande Naiey iO
Growers Association Is preparing q bhi for
% the leSilature to require all potatoes oes'lAeu
consumption outside the producing territory "
shipped under grades, each car to UNDERGO q ~ -
.nectiop. The proposed grades for Valley citrus fruit
are expected to be established upon the same sshe
lie !, he Grades which have proved so valuable U
che industry in Florida; the potato growers are pre-
nsy;re : bill similar to that before the Oklahoma legis-
Isaure and which in all essentials has been iouhu SaN
factory in the Northern and Eastern producing aie"
That the application Of grades TO all other commod-
,ties shipped from the Valley would prove pron'AD'e
Il apparent. Friday morning the shippers were COM
PEELED to cut the cabbage price from p 70 slo PIT IN
due 4, IS stated. to the shipment from the valley OF
several cars Of inferior grade and immature cabbage
Those sbipments were made up when cabbage was rang
inc from SIS TO SIS per ton. In order TO secure TINS
price some shippers and growers are alleged TO nave
placed on the market . small quantity Of the INFERIOR
or immature cabbage. The protest from the trace
eame IN the form OF an immediate reduction in quota
tions for Valley cabbage.
The cabbave movement from the Valley Friday sg-
eregated ESQ tons. The reduction Of IS per ton cost
the Valley growers over 5000, the loss for that one
day being almost sufficient to pay the salaries Of three
inspectors for six months at the rate Of $500 per month.
Several days will be required to get the market back
to normal, and the direct loss 10 Valley growers viii
be heavy.
II II understood that the federal government already
has established the necessary grades, but their adop-
ton Il voluntary, and it is necessary for the terri
tories to defray the cost Of inspection. The frequent
losses sustained by Valley growers as the result Of la>z
Of inspection and maintenance Of grades makes il OBJ
vious that the cost Of such inspection would be insig-
nificant in comparison with the benefits which would
accrue. II the grades and inspection prove beneficial
70 the fruit and potato deals, it is only logical to pre-
sumo that they would prove equally beneficial to the
cabbage, tomato, bean and all other dels.
Financing Of such inspection should not be made
a burden upon either the shippers or the growers.
Every Valley interest viii benefit equally with growers
and shippers, and the logical way to finance il would
be through county tax levies. Whether existing laws
would permit this, The Herald does not profess to know.
but the legislature now in session could make the nee
essary provisions il il were indicated to that body that
It would be to the interest of the public to do so. The
entire system would be under the direction Of the state
and federal departments, and the cost to the taxpayers
would be only a minute fraction Of the annual loss the
Valley sustains by reason Of the fact that whenever a
good market Is secured it almost invariably is dis
rupted by those eager to reap an immediate profit.