Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-04-13
Ship Channel to Brownsville.
To The Herald.

To The Herald.
The article and communication
under the above caption in The Her
aid of Friday morning furnishes in
teresting reading on a most impor-
tant subject. 1t should command
the earnest attention Of every cit
izen of Brownsville, and indeed of
the entire Valley, if not all of South
west Texas.
The necessity of such a channel
and immediate action toward ecur-
ing it is most imperative. / am glad
Mr.. Whitney has awakened TO what
seems TO him a brand new idea.
Every argument in its favor is most
heartily endorsed, but before he
starts through the streets of Browns
Vile, shouting "Eureka" Eureka"
he should be informed that they have
all, with many others, been set
forth repeatedly in the public press
Of the city. But they are none the
less valuable on that account, and
! want here and now to thank him
for calling attention new to the
subject.
But instead Of this being a first
working basis as the Introduction
to the article states, as a mere mat
ter Of historic accuracy, to remind
both the editor and Mr.. Whitney
/ H.. A. D-1urn--;IJo AZ forurat- ~ rs
ISOLATION was organized many
months ago, and has already borne
substantial fruit. The second article
Of the constitution of that associa-
ton reads: The purpose of this
association shall be I'd To secure
deep water at BrazOs Santiago Pass
and a harbor for ocean going vessels;
CD To secure water transportation
and a water freight rate to Browns
Vile, and CD as means thereto, the
creation OF a Navigation District in
accordance with the state law, for
the purpose of dredging a channel
from the Brazos Pass through the
Laguna Madre and thnce on the most
direct line practicable to the city OF
Brownsville, Of such depth and size
as to accommodate any vessels that
can the bar at the Pass, and 70
conform to the specifications of the
Intercoastal Canal"
To carry out the purposes Of this
article of the constitution, a BraZos
Santiago deep water committee was
appointed with l.. Cobolini as chair
man, and composed Of Messrs. James
B. Wells, r. B.. Creager, VIM. Kelly
and A. A. Browne. The efficient
work of that committee is well
known and deserves the thanks Of
all our citizens.
To carry out the second and third
objects of the association, a Browns
Vile ship channel committee was APP
pointed with S. c. Tucker as chair
man and composed Of Messrs. #. W..
Seabury, r. b. Rentfro, w. II. Nc
Davitt, Col. ID. p. Gay, NJ. ]. Slattery,
w. II. Mason, jr., l.. II. Hallam and
C. II. More.
While the subscriptions to the
funds Of the Waterways Association
were intended to be used for the
purposes of both these committees,
the board of directors, in their wis
dom saw fit to make appropriations
to the former only, until such time
as it had accomplished so much of
its purpose as to lay fully before
the board of United States engineers
the data necessary to secure their
endorsement of the project, if pos
sible. Some subscriptions were made
solely for the work of the ship chan
mel committee, and have not yet been
collected, awaiting the beginning of
active preliminary work. This eX-
PLANTATION is due this committee for
their apparent lack of interest in
their work. Furnish them the nee
essary "sinews Of war and there
is no more aggressive leader than Mr..
Tucker, and no more efficient help
ers than the members of his com
mittee. There can be no good rea-
son for taking the matter out Of the
hands Of this committee. They have
the support, moral and financial Of
the Waterways association and every
citizen Of Brownsville.
While Mr.. Whitney and the di-
r%ectors Of the Chamber Of Commerce
have endorsed the ship channel pro
ject, the method of securing it, rec
commended by them, is not only open
70 criticism. but would. in my judg-
ment. utterly destroy the primary
object of such a channel. Let us see.
What is the purpose of the pro
posed channel? Reducing the an