Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 27, Ed. 1 Friday, August 20, 1920 Page: 1 of 6
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MERCEDES. HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 20. 1020.
NUMBER p7
LLEY GROWERS INVITE
XPERT ASSOCIATION MAN
'eeting of Representatives of
Amity Club and Local Truck-
Growers’ Associations Decide to
Invite Aaron Sapiro, the Cali-
fornia Expert, to Visit the Valley
sapiro of San S
rney and expert organizer to w}n be constantly subjected. The
many California growers associ- j farmer must feel, therefore, the vital
,„ns has been invited to visit the j nccessity at this time for co-opera-
lley in October. His fee and ex_ | tjVe association; and it is unfor-
ises, $1,800 in all* have been un-, tunately, but historically true, that
written by business men and; tbe investment of the farmer must
ATTEMPTS MADE
TO BURN GINS
Reynolds Gin at San Benito De-
stroyed; Attempts made to Burn
Gins at Mercedes and Alamo
Imers. This action was taken at a
|nt meeting of representatives or
s Valley Amity Club and local truck
iwers associations held at the com-
Bmity house Monday afternoon.
The invitation of Mr. Sapiro was
I .ted upon after the reading of a
[(Hr written to Dr. H. H. Harring-
agricultural director for the
Imeriean Rio Grand^ Land and Ir-
Igation company by the expert. Mr.
have been threatened by existing con
ditions before he has been able in
the past to overcome bis individual-
ism, and to work with bis neighbors
in co-operative work. The farmers
of the Valley were confronted with
that situation last season. It is star-
ing them in the face again this sea-
son, so that this appeal for co-ope-
ration and the active services of
the growers at every shipping local-
japiro said he would be unable to i ity in the valley is made because of
ime before October but suggested I a neCessity. Unless the member feels
liat, in the meantime, the Valley de-
late itself to strengthening is va
]ous organizations. The motion to
I ill Mr. Sapira provoked considera-
te discussion- all of which was fa-
vorable.
While the expenses of the cam
laign were underwritten by a num-
jer of the delegates attending the
fleeting, it was the unanimous opin-
bn of the gathering that the growers
Issociations in the Valley should re-
imburse these men, as the growers
,ould be the beneficiaries.
Next in importance to the decision
|o bring Mr. Sapiro to the Valley
Ivas the action of the meeting in
j oting t£ organize communities that
iiad no existing farmers associations
jmd to strengthen the organizations
Kow in existence. President J. J.
[Elliott of the Amity Club appointed
strong organization committee rep-
" kotative of every section of the
!ey.
The duties of this committee will
Ibe to visi|t unorganized communities
land assist- in perfecting the forma-
tion of growers units. This commit-
tee will be expected to familiaiize
themselves with the two organiza
Itions possible under existing state
taws, prepare themselves to assist in
jthe preparation of ' constitutions and
|by-laws and growers contracts.
Upon the subject of organization
Jthe following letter, prepared by Dr.
IH. H. Harrington was voted to be
(sent to the Valley press and the
(■organizations now in existence.
I To the Farmers of the Valley:
Y/e, the executive committee of the
j Amity Club,, in co-operation with the
committee representing the .local as-
sociations, address you in this open
letter because we feel that the limi-
tations of time, and the probability
of disaster' to our farmers in market-
ing their next crop, particularly their
cabbage crop- demand very earnest
thought and active co-operation in
your respective localities for the per-
fection of your local co-operative
sales associations.
We had hoped to get Mr. Sapario
of California, general attorney for 14
of the co-operative sales associations
of that state, into the Valley at an
early date for the purpose not only
of securing the benefit of his expe-
rience and his talent in the organi-
zation of local and a federated sales
association, but also, and more es-
pecially for the purpose of inspir-
ing our people in the Valley with the
same enthusiasm, which has charac-
terized the California people, and
which has brought them success in
the marketing of their products; but
we find that Mr. Sapiro cannot he
here until October; too late to ef
ficiently servd our purpose this sea-
son; so that we are calling upon the
people of the Valley, at the several
shipping stations, to perfect as early
ns possible their local associations,
whether this association is in the
form of a bonded warehouse- or other
form tai. co-perative society. Where
no assciation has yet been regularly
organ izld, call a mass meeting and
lect ofificers, appoint a committee
or writing by-laws; and establish, as
early as possible, the practical ma-
chinery for operating your associa-
tion; and then have it incorporated
immediately. Where the local asso-
ciation is already organized, appoint
a committee to secure as large a
membership as possible, and have
your crop contracts signed up as
early as practicable. You could ap-
point a membership committee, or a
campaign committee to see every
man in your territory and solicit his
^active support of the local associa-
ion.
A co-operative organization of
arraers must be founded on econom-
necessity.. if it is to be permanent-
v successful. The reason for its
Dr.Harrington Tells Farmers
of His Recent Trip to Chicago
a personal responsibility, and the
absolute necessity for organization,
he is not likely to realize the im-
portance of organizing, and staying
with the organization through the
adversities of every kind.
The executive committee of the
Amity Club, expect in a few days,
to announce a cammpaign committee
that will he glad to go into any
locality and help perfect^ its local
organization, where such is requested
by" the local people. W'hen the or-
ganization of these local associations
shall have been perfected, the Amity
Club, working in co-operation with
the representatives' of the local mem-
ber associations- will be ready to sub-
mit a plan for the federation of a.ll
of these local associations into one
emmon co-operative assciation for
the Valley.
President Elliott said - that it had
been impossible for Judge D. A.
Gregg, market, law expert, of Austin,
to reach the Valley in time for the
Monday meeting and announced that
the distinguished visitor would make
adresses in Donna on Wrenesday night
in San Benito on Thursday night and
in McAllen on Friday night
The committees on organization
and other work preliminary to the
coming of Mr. Sapiro were an-
nounced as follows:
Local Associations—G. W. Hack-
ney- chairman; E. M. Todd, A. L.
Bullis, J. J. Heidt. O. T. Myer, C.
W. Boner, Mr> Smith.
By-laws.—John Gordon, chairman;
E. H. Griffith, M. Collier, R. G. Bar-
ton, W. B. Riggs.
Crop Contract.—Dr. H. H. Har-
rington- chairman; R. J. Gaines, O.
O. Saffer, Sam Botts, T. C. Richard-
son.
Organization.—A. B. Jacobs, chair-
man; Frank Crow, S. C. Tucker, Mr.
Gotts.
The gentlemen who agreed to un-
derwrite the expense of bringing Mr.
Sapiro to the Valley were: J. J.
Elliott, S C. Tucker, Mr. Clark, Mr.
Smith- C.‘ H. Bagg, Mr. Heidt, A, B.
Following the destruction Sunday
of the Reynolds gin at San Benito,
with a loss of several thousand dol-
lars in machinery and in baled cot-
ton, to say nothing of the loss that
will result in delay in handling The
crop, and an attempt to set fire to
the gins at Mercedes and at Wesla-
co, gin men are being very alert in
guarding their property.
Unless the attempt is being made
by I. W. W. agents to injure the cot-
ton crop, ginners are at a loss to ac-
count for the attempts at the de-
struction of property that would en-
ail losses of thousands of dollars.
Although it has been apparently re-
liably reported that th'e Reynolds gin
was set fire this, because of the fact
that it was compeltely destroyed is
difficult to prove. That the fire at
the Mercedes gin, extinguished by
workmen without loss was incendia-
ry was without question.
A workman employed in making
repairs last Sunday discovered a fire
that had been built next to the walls
of the building and was able after a
brief struggle to extinguish the flame
before the damage was serious. Had
it not been that the repairs were be-
ing made the attempt woulld un-
doubtedly have proven successful as
the gin does not operate on Sunday.
Word has also been received in
Mercedes that an unsuccessful at-
tempt was made to burn the gin at
Alamo. As the result of these at-
tempts the ginners are keeping
watchmen constantly on the ground
and the fire bug if he attempts a rep-
etition, will find the climate most un-
healthy.
--o-
ASSOCIATION IS
LEGAL SAYS GREGG
Marketing Commissioner Tells Grow-
ers a Co-operative Association
Can Be Formed.
A co-operative marketing associa-
tion, either with or without capital
stock can he formed and a charter
obtained under the existing laws of
Texas, Judge D. A. Gregg of the
bureau of markets Tuesday night told
a gathering / farmers, from all sec-
tions .of the\ /alley at a meeting in
the Donna high school. Judge Gregg
emphasized the need for a co-opeia-
tive organization and stressed the
benefit such an association would
prove to the Valley.
The speaker praised highly the
(agricultural work now going on in
the Valley, stating that this was his
second trip this summer and that
he was more than pleased with what
he had seen. The speaker was in-
troduced by Dr. H. H. Harrington,
agricultural director for the Ameri
can Rio Grande Land and Irrigation
Company. President J. J. Elliott of
the Valley Amity club matle a short
talk outlining the activities of that
body.
-o--
CABBAGE SPOILS ON
ACCOUNT CAR SHORTAGE
Largest Gathering of Members
Since Mercedes Farmers’ Asso-
ciation Was Formed, Hears Re-
port of the Marketing Convention
at Chicago. Dr. Harrington De-
scribes Some of Mr. Sapiro’s
Methods of Marketing
EPWORTH LEAGUE
AT CAMPACUAS LAKE
Members of Talley Societies of
Methodist Organization Having a
Good Time at Lake Resort
The joys of camp life and lake
bathing are being experienced this
week by members of the Epworth
League, the young peoples society of
the Methodist church. The encamp-
ment is being held at Lake Cam-
paeuas and is being attended by mem-
bers of practically every society in
the Valley.
The members of the Mercedes
League are proving themselves to be
accomplished entertainers and are
seeing that the visitors are extend-
ed every facility for having a good
time.
At Mercedes Hotel
Sunday: G. R. Weber, Corpus
Christi; W. R. Barnes, St. Paul; A.
B. Caruthers and wife, Rochester;
l! D. Davidson, San Antonio; Max
Hessel, San Antonio.
Monday: Mrs. M. B. Petus, San
Antonio; E. M. Johnston.. Houston;
L, W. Wilbur, Butler, Okla.; D. A.
Young, San Antonio;; M. A. Reich,
Buffalo; M. J. Graham, Beaumont;
Olive Johnson, San Antonio.
Tuesday. F. H. Heckman, San
Antonio; J. A. Barbish, Austin, C.
Tabor,
Other sections of the country have
their shipping troubles- too. A let-
ter from Mr. Lingenbrink Thursday
who is in Denver, Colo., contains
the following clipping from the Den-
ver News:
G»eely, Colo., Aug. 13.—Large
quantities of cabbage are spoiling in
southern Weld county because of the
shortage of refrigerator cars. Wed-
nesday one company which had or-
dered seventeen cars from the Union
Pacific for loading at country sta-
tions got one “freezer” car. The
price of cabbage has dropped to 60
cents a hundred, which hardly cov-
ers the cost of crating. The cabbage
acreage in the county is 40‘ per cent
heavier than last year. The shipping
season is just started and the farm-
ers are facing very heavy losses.
Nearly 2,000 carloads of cabbage have
been raised in the district between
Brighton , and Ault this sgeason.
HORTICOLTURALISTS
TO MEET IN VALLEY
What is said to be the largest at-
tendance at any meeting since the
Mercedes Farmers’ Inc., was organ-
ized, gathered at the school house
Tuesday night to hear Dr. H. H.
Harrington report on the marketing
convention he recently attended in
Chicago.
Dr. Harrington pronounced the dis-
cussion on organization of marketing
associations by Aaron Sapiro of Cal-
ifornia to be the outstanding fea-
ture of the convention and (fevoted
most of his talk to “passing on” the
ideas he had gained from the Califor-
nia expert.
The first theory on the Mar-
keting products, new to many of
those at Tuesday night’s meeting'
that Mr. Sapiro had advanced was
an organization of produces and not
of localities. Mr. Sapiro, according
to Dr. Harrington, told how the Cal-
ifornia raisin growers had been
saved from practical bankruptcy and
organized to dominate the market on
their product by Mr. Sapiro. Dr.
Harrington said the association paid
their manager a salary of $1,700 a
year with a bonus that raised his
pay to from $25,000 to $30,000, here
the doctor digressed long enough to
remind his hearers that the Unix
Marketing system had paid its man-
ager a salary of $75 a month.
The speaker stressed the need for
employing specialists to handle the
business, “let the farmer produce and
1 • _ X- •__J___4-^
Eltweed Pomeroy of Donna is Re-
Elected President and the Soci-
ety Accepts Invitation
C. Rowley,. Houston; E. B.
HrUwnbvjlle; Gust Moritz, Stella,
Neb.; F. A. Cavanaugh, San Antonio;
George^kacinYTMrrBut Jack Fryer. Doana; Mrs. L. King,
lis, Mr. Crow and Mr. Gotts. I San Antonio.
Excellent Rice Crop Is
Now Being Harvested
by the Schwarz Bros.
The Texas State Horticultural so- P™duc
ciety at its annual meeting at Col- proper^
lege Station, chose Eltweed Pomeroy
of Donna as its president. He very
promptly offered the hosiptality of
the Rio Grande Delta for the society's
hire trained men to market the pro-
ducts. He emphasized this point with
an experience handed down by the
California Prune Growers Associa-
tion. This association, he said, found
itself with an over production. It
had a crop that was in excess of the
entire consuming capacity of the Uni-
ted States. To meet this situation
the growers spent $200,000 in ad-
vertising campaign- sending an ad-
vertising expert to Europe to create
an increased demand. This campaign
was successful and the growers were
able to dispose of their product with-
out depressing the market. He urg-
ed that the farmers co-operate, pool
their products according to grade,
thus creating a better price and add-
ing an incentive for the growers to
good crop and pack it
ers of other southern states control
the cabbage market. Although the
road is strewn with the wrecks of
farmers organizations the idea is not
a failure. If the idea of co-operative
marketing is a failure then farming
is a failure. The brokerage system
has been tried and it fails, it leaves
the farmer at the mercy of the bro-
ker. If co-operative marketing fails
and if farming fails the country fails.
“It is true the farmer may fail to
educate his children may fail to pro-
vide for himself and wife the ordi-
nary comforts and pleasures of life,
but any government, any economic
system that permits that is unsound
and cannot endure.
“If Mr. Sapiro can show the grow-
ers the way to reach their goal then
his talent and his time are above
price and he becomes a public bene-
factor,” he concluded.
Dr. Rothrock- chairman of the com-
mittee for obtaining a charter for the
organization announced that suffi-
cient stock has been subscribed and
that a charter had been applied for.
He urged the farmers to sign the as-
sociation contract in order that pack-
ing cases and other necessary sup-
plies could be purchased before an-
other advance in price. Practically
every farmer at the meeting signed
a contract.
Those present were told of the
meeting- to be held in Donna Wed-
nesday night when D. G. Gregg, com-
missioner of agriculture was to ad-
dress an audience on the legal phases
of organization and were urged tex
attend the meeting.
LOCAL COTTON HAS
REACHjDSI 52,000
700 Rales Had Been Giumil up t<x
Thursday Night; 860 Will Be
Wv.-kY Ompuf
The advantage of this was illus-
trated by the experience of the raisin
growers. There, statistics show that
in the nine years since the organiza-
of a 160-acre rice crop was com-
pleted Tuesday afternoon by the
Schwartz brothers on their farm six
mdles from Mercedes. The rice, early
prolific, is of excellent quality and
produced ten barrels to the acre.
At present market prices this should
net the growers about $150 an acre.
The Schwartz brothers are experi-
enced rice farmers and were not
daunted by the catastrophe that vis-
ited an attempt made at Brownsville
a number of years ago to add rice to
the list of Valley products. These
gentlemen are planning to extend
their acreage next year and, to pre-
vent any danger from alkali will ro-
tate their crops. The land used for
rice for one or two years will be
planted to cotton for an equal pe-
riod of time. This method has prov-
en successful for the Schwartz broth-
ers in other sections- an excellent
stand of cotton being grown on the
land.
A threshing machine in operation,
a sight not often seen in the Valley,
as well as the interest shown by
those who knew of the experiment
existence must lie in some vital cerv- has called many visitors to the field
ice. which it is expected to perform. and. farmers uho camp to the Val
Harvesting of the first forty acres ley from the grain belt were remind-
ed of their former homes by the busy
machine, the ever increasing pile
iDe wo ™ ™ j tion there had been fewer raisin
Uve'^ommittee^has^ acceptedY.^^The powers bankrupt than in the single
meeting will be held at some of the
bright towns in the Valley, will prob-
ably b<* for three days with exhib-
its of citrus fruits, flowers," an-'
truck, with speakers both local and
over the state, probably a banquet
one evening and certainly an auto
drive to our increasing horticultural
beauty spots. Every one should aid
this valuable educational and adver-
tising movement
FREIGHT RATE INURE-\SE
ON TRUCK HAS BEEN HEAVY
of grain sacks And the ever mount-
ing straw stack.
The grain field still unharvested is
a beauty and the heavily laden Leads
are proving a rich harvest for the
birds, these, however, are. not se-
riously damaging the crop, accord-
ing to its growers.
36th STATE TO ENDORSE
SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT
Nahsville, Tenn., Aug. 18.—-Tennes-
see is the thirty-sixth state that has
ratified the federal suffrage amend-
ment. The vote in the house today
was 49 to 47. The senate, ratified
the amendment last Friday.
Chairman Walker, in an attempt to
have the action reconsidered, chang-
ed his vote to “aye” 'giving ratifica-
tion a majority of 50. to 47. Walker
is privileged to call up the resolu-
tion for reconsideration any time
within the next two days.
The constitutional change will be-
come effective in time for seventeen
million women to vote in the presi-
dents lelection in Novemmber un-
less the lower house rescinds its ac-
New. Rates Will Add Thirty-three and
One-Third per Cent- to the Cost 9
of Moving Crop
year previous to the organization.
The speaker declared that, with fifty-
one per cent of the farmers organ-
ized the markets of the country would
be dominated by them. This he
illustrated by pointing out that or-
ganized California controlled the cit-
rus fruit markets although Califor-
nia produces only twenty-five per
cent of the world’s supply of citrus
fruit.
Dr.*> Harrington closed with a
strong, appeal to the farmers to
join their association and ,to stand
back of it. “We are big enough we
could in co-operation with the grow-
A little more than half the esti-
mated cotton crop' that will be
handled by the W. D. Chadick gin
at Mercedes is approximating $152,-
000 to the growers, according to W.
D. Chadick, manager of the gin.
When the work closed Thursday
night 760 bales had been ginned and
Mr. Chadick estimated that 850 would
■have been ginne by Saturday night.
The cotton ginned so far, according
to Mr. Chadick has sold for right
around $200 a bale. The total, Mr.
Chadick estimates, that will be hand-
led through this gin will be about
1500 bales.
-o—--
James Howze has returned from
Brownsville where he attended the
42nd annual convention .of Texas
sheriffs. Mr. Howze was a Texas
sheriff in the days when the duties of
that office consisted more of chas-
ing the elusive “cow-thief” than it
did of serving citations in land suits.
He was a resident of Concho county
for nearly forty years and for many
years was active in the taming of
this section of the state.
The increase in freight rates, re-
cently granted by the Interstate Conh
merce Commission and effective on
September 1 will cause an increase
of thirty-three and one-third cents
freight rate on vegetables shipped
from the Valley. Information as to
the amount of the increase was re-
ceived in a telegram to E. G. Pen-
nell received Wednesday.
With a freight rate such as this,
according to Mr. Pennell, there will
be no incentive to ship other than top
quality products. Figures showing
the exact difference in dollars and
cents between this rate and that, of
last year were not yet available.
--o--
San Benito. Texas.—J. L. Crawford
has resigned his position as post-
master here, it was announced to-
day. He will devote his time to
selling automobiles and land. Mr.
Crawford has held the postmaster-
ship here for the past five and one-
half years during which time the re-
ceipts have doubled.
Mercedes Post American
Legion Wins First Prize in
State Membership Drive
The Mercedes post of the Ameri-
can Legion has been awarded the
state prize for membership and the
silver loving cup will be presented to
the post delegates at the state con-
vention in Hpuston next week. News
of the award was contained in a
telegram from State Adjutant Charles
R. Scruggs to Post Adjutant D. R.
Crawford. The telegram stated:
“Under the plans just worked out
by the committee , on awp.^3tog the
state memberfor ag/iftcrease
in membershlg/flguring the national
campaign weeR,v,T take great pleas-
ure in informing you, that the J. A.
Garcia Pdst No. 172, wins the prize
by a/ nice percentage. Your per-
centja^llps, .0976, a small lead over
your nearest competitor. The cup
will be awarded to your post thru
your delegates at the convention, in
Houston next week. Accept our sin-
cerest and heartiest congratulations.
Needless to say the post is greatly
elated over this honor, which car-
ries with it not only the cup but
a cash prize of $100.00 offered by
the San Antonio Chamber of Com-
merce. To fittingly represent Mer-
cedes the post, at a special meeting
held Wednesday night, appointed N.
W. Strobeclc, S. S. Chadick, A. W.
Erskine and D. R. Crawford as del-
egates to the Houston convention,
which opens Monday.
The J. A. Garcia post now has a
membership of almost 150 discharg-
ed soldiers, sailors and marines. y.
__.
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Hoyt, L. T. Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 27, Ed. 1 Friday, August 20, 1920, newspaper, August 20, 1920; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1018240/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.