The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-10-07
BUSINESS MEN
TALK S. S. LINE
BROWNSVILLE MAY HAVE WAT
Err TRANSPORTATION.
W. J. Church Talks of Saving Eff
fected by Corpus Christi Line
Would Like Capital Stock of
500. 900.

ABOul lOl ll-llNS UuSluGOo niCn vi
Brownsville were present last night
at the Commercial Club room to
hear the talk of w. J Church on
the subject of the service of the Cor
pus Christi Steamship Company into
Brownsville and possibly into New
Orleans. Secretary Magill of the
Lower Rio Grande Commercial Club
presided at the meeting and in a
few brief and we'll chosen words
stated the object of the meeting
and told of the work that has been
done along this line in the past by
the Commercial Club, after which
he introduced Mr. Church, who spoke
as follows:
I desire that there be nc misun-
derstanding in regard to the Corpus
Christi Steamship Company. The
Corpus Christi Steamship Company
doe not propose to go into the
steamship business in general or the
business proper. We have expert
mented with d steamship line for a
year and have found that it has
proven very remunerating to the
business interests of Corpus Christi
Although the steamship line itself
has proven to be al loss from fl
nancial standpoint, the business in
terests of Corpus Christi who have
handled their business over the
steamship line made a saving last
year of $4,000 in freight rates
alone
This steamship line operates from
Galveston to Corpus Christi and it
has now reached point where We
believe we can increase our interest
by increasing the facilities, and to
do this it will be necessary for US
to raise additional capital 1t was
suggested at a recent meeting that
before we attempt to do anything
along this line amongst ourselves,
Brownsville be approached in regard
to this matter and an endeavOr made
to interest the city in this PROPOSE
ton. 1t was intended to bring
Brownsville in if she desired to come
on the same basis as Corpus Chris
ii is operating.
Brownsville would be expected to
furnish as much capital, or more
if she wanted to, than Corpus Chris
ii would put into the enterprise
The company does not feel that they
are able or have the time to de
vote to that kind of business in
general public way, but it is be
lieved that if a service is extended
to Brownsville or New Orleans as
is now being contemplated, it will
prove to be a more economical line
than one to Galveston with one
steamer We have not figured out
for you any details as to what you
might save in freight rates, but
from a general view of the rates now
in effect in Lower Rio Grande Val
ley points, we think as much could
be saved for Brownsville as was
saved for Corpus Christi last year
This would depend in a great meas
ure on the manner of handling
ocean freight from the bar, or the
mouth of the river, into the city
Brownsville would not be as well
situated to get the full benefit of
ocean rates as Corpus Christi is to
day. Ocean vessels now coming in
to Corpus Christi come direct to the
public wharves and discharge their
cargo without Tightening at all
the business men of Brownsville
think the matter worth CONSIDERING
and are willing to go into the mat
ter to the extent of investing witt
Corpus Christi in a more extern
sive line than is now operated, we
would be glad to get together with
Brcwnsville's representatives.
Il have told you what Corpus
Christi has been able to do the first
year in operating a line. These fig
Ures are not estimates, but actual
figures taken from the records of
last years business As | said be
fore, the steamship company made
poor showing as far as net revenue
to the company is concerned, but the
benefit was gained entirely through
the reduced rates to the business
men who were patrons of the line
4 did not come here with anv
proposition to put before you other
than an invitation from the citizens
of Corpus Christi to join with them
in their cOastwise line Corpus
Christi does not want to engage in
the business alone, outside of her
own interests, but she is not only
willing to give every assistance she
can, but is willing to join Browns
vile in extending the service as
much as possible I do not know
of anything else at present to say
along this line, but Will be glad to
answer any questions that | can that
any one may wish to ask me"
For those present who did not
understand English, Mr. Church's
talk was translated into Spanish by
T. Crixell In reply to the many
questions asked him by those pres
ent Mr. Church said that it has been
suggested that a company with cap
ital stock of 100000 be formed,
two-thirds of the stock to be held
in Brownsville and Corpus Christi,
the remainder in Galveston and
New Orleans. He stated that in his