Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Tela Railroad Company benefited from exemptions on import duties.
38
Initially, the Carías administration did not consider the threat posed by
Sigatoka suciently severe to warrant government intervention. Milla's
gubernatorial successor, Gustavo A. Castañeda, continued to press Tegu-
cigalpa for assistance in 1938. Writing on behalf of several prominent
growers, Castañeda asked that duties bewaived on imports of copper sul-
fate, lime, pumps, and other materials needed to control Sigatoka.
39
How-
ever, his request was denied by the Carías administration, which, if in-
creasinglyawareofSigatoka'sseverity,hadlittlepoliticalinterestinaiding
North Coast finqueros, many of whom were prominent members of the
opposition (and increasingly marginalized) Liberal party.
40
In April 1938, the Tela Railroad Company published the outlines of
aplantoaidnon-companygrowersinEl Comercio, a company-owned
newspaper. The two-part article began by describing the ''collapse'' of
the banana industry due to Sigatoka, pointing to the ''completely un-
productive'' banana farms along the National Railroad as an illustration
of the decline.
41
The company then outlined its proposal to install Bor-
deaux ground spray systems at a cost of $870 per hectare. In addition,
loans of $145 per hectarewould be provided to growers with ''good lands.''
The company promised to pay participating growers 25 cents for a nine-
handed bunch. According to the article, planters who agreed to partici-
pate stood to benefit financially while having the opportunity ''to learn
modern methods of cultivation and obtain practical knowledge that if
applied with care would increase production.'' Company o
cials insisted
that they were acting in good faith, noting that it would be less expen-
sive to control Sigatoka on their farms in Honduras and elsewhere than
to revive non-company production. They emphasized the boost that the
plan would bring to the moribund North Coast economy bycreating jobs
and increasing revenues for the National Railroad and customs houses. In
sum,thecompanypromisedtoreturnthebananatradeto''theconditions
that prevailed prior to the appearance of Sigatoka.''
42
But the article's enthusiastic and confident tone concealed the fact
that its authors provided few details about the terms of the loan and just
whowould be eligible.U.S. consul Oury-Jackson reported that the lack of
specificity was intentional: ''This o
ce has been informed that the plan as
outlined...isnotexactandthattheinformationisgiveninanambigu-
ous manner to secure the interest of small banana producers and cause
them to make advances and comments directed towards placing a modi-
fiedplanineffect''
43
After speaking with a high-level company ocial,
Oury-Jackson outlined the company's intentions: ''The plan calls for the
