, 1935-02-24


by o. II. stugard. president Of the
Texas Citrus Growers league. to the
Citrus Institute at Edinburg. Feb
ruary IA.
Mr.. Chairman. ladies and gen.
tlemen ! am pleased to be here and
to have this opportunity to tell you
something about this new organiza-
ton the Texas Citrus Growers lea
que.
Briefly our purposes are: To
protect the grower and further the
best interests Of the Citrus Fruit
Industry-To obtain legislation that
may be desirable ard beneficial TO
its members.
Last October q group OF my
neighbors met at my place for The
purpose Of discussing our problems
in the citrus fruit industry. After
considerable discussion w decided
to organize a growers organization
and we named the new organization
the Texas Citrus Growers league.
There were IS Of US at this meet
ing and everyone joined. We now
have approximately 100 grove own
ers represented In the San Juan
unit, representing approximately
5000 acres In citrus fruit trees. Since
that time every community in Hi
dalgo county has organized a sim
liar unit and Cameron and Willacy
counties are also organizing. The
plan Is TO have a local unit In each
and every community who elects a
director TO represent that unit to a
central organization. This central
organization is responsible to the
members of the various units. IN
der this plan the majority OF the
growers make the decisions. There
has been no promotion scheme, the
various units have gotten together
and organized because they saw the
need OF a growers organization. So
there must be a need Of such ar
organization.
Il wish TO quote the following as
taken from a local newspaper:
When representative citrus grow
ers OF the Rio Grande Valley can
get together and perfect an organi-
cation Of any type. that rs some
thing. When that some group can
do as much as hold consecutive
weekly meetings over a period Of a
few months. that Is also something.
When. through sheer interest In
betterment for themselves these
same growers can be found holding
local unH sessions throughout the
Valley and propounding new plans
to further the Valleys citrusdom.
that is something else. All such
successful something's car be attri-
buted TO a group Of men glo only
a comparatively few weeks ago
saw the Texas Citrus Growers Lea
que born. Within about two months
II has eSsayed a sPread-eagle
growth that already encompasses
all three citrus producing counties
in the Valley. Some Is local units
have been formed. Thousands of
acres Of trees r represented in
the property owned by league men,
bers. In addition. business. pro-
fessional and civic leaders are sub
scribing TO the program. State and
federal department Of agriculture
officials, private horticulturists and
citrculturists. state and national
legislators. Valley mayors. water
districts and others are endorsing
the league. This is proof there
must be something deeper than the
fhpIack commercialiSm that be-
queaths many Vali2y movements a
shaky heritage. In simpler terms.
your correspondent Is Of the opinion
along with many another Valley
tie who looks on from the vantage
point OF the diSintereSted specta-
tor-that the Valley is now witness
ing the groundwork OF a group that
IN future years will wag its massive
mead and sway the destinies Of a
SI25.OOO.000 industry. The latter is
the Valleys citrus industry. made
up OF countless small and large
growers whose livelihood hangs on
trees each year when fragrant
blooms start the seasons citrus
crop. The foregoing is mere pass
ing credit to an organization that
mas already accomplished much for
the Valley. And. TO make the thing
more interesting. any program OF
benefit TO the citrus industry in this
area IS, potentially speaking. with
cot hope Of ever being fulfilled In
every phase; there are too many
phases
Why the need OF such an or
~ganization? There are a number
OF reasons. The main one is that
the grower has not been informed
properly concerning his own busi-
ness. The grower has not been
consulted concerning legislation az
fecting the citrus industry. In 9TH
er words the grower has not had a
voice IN the laws and rules and
regulations that have been affect
ing the industry In which he Is
most vitality interested.
Last August I attended a meet
ing III WeSlaco where proration was
discussed. / discovered that I knew
practically nothing about proration.
4 also found that most OF the people
there knew Just about as much about
" as / did. The q was cle "a
n lack OF information. In October
attended another meeting in Wes-
laco. being a shippers meeting call
ca for the purpose OF deciding to
start the shipping OF Marsh Seed
less Grapefruit on Dr. about October
lotn. The reason given was that
there was no market for Duncan
grapefruit. We all knew the main
reason why there was no market for
Duncan grapefruit. IT was prin-
cipally because IL was not ripe. we
growers objected to marketing our
Marsh SeedleSs Grapefruit before it
wa ripe because that would further
ruin our markets. The result OF this
meeting was that the majority pres
ent voted TO withhold the ship