Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-04-24
RATES
A BURDEN UPON
TEXAS FARMERS
FURTHER ADVANCE WOULD RETARD
DEVELOPMENT IN LOWER VAL
LEY. SAYS WITNESS.
TEXAS TRUC KGR0WERS SAY THEY
ARE ALREADY HEAVILY HANDI-
CAPPED BY RATES.

The follow ing j. 4 new dispatch COY
cring testimony III the Chicago rate hear
ing Thursday against the proposed rate
increase hv western railroads. which ~.
fccts the Magic Valley:
Proposed advances ia freight rates
on fruits aud vegetables from Texas
farms would rctlrd the development ~
the Southwest agricultural regions. 40
the opinion of witnesses who testified
today in the hearing Of the Western rate
ease before W. NJ. Daniels. Interstate
commissioner.
Prom my knowledge of conditions.
testified -. 4. D'I;ricn Of Brownsville.
Texas. manager uf the l:in Grlndc rail.
way. n am convinced that the c>tah.
lishmcni Of these Increased shipping
rates will rrtard The Development of the
Flo Granlc VALLEY. MN belief T. that
they will DESTROY the farming industry
there. SETTLER. went there with the idea
that the freight rates would NOT br al.
vancrd. am satisfied that IL this in.
crease j. granted the railroads also will
suffer because Of smaller crop move.
mrut> from that section
The average truck farmer ia the Rio
Graudc valley l. = poor person who went
there in the expectation that hc would
improve his condition lie can act stand
the proposed Increase and would have
tn leave thtt >t iNu
The proposed l".t.~ uu fruit and
vegetables from III l. rr:
Ten rruts - huultoi ~ uni> on straw.
berries: : rents "A hUmirrt pounds "u
peaches. cautuluup y tomatoes aud en-
ions. and : cents i hundred pounds 30
cabbage. potatoes and WaicrrriHuS.
MIR. oBrirn testified that ~pinIrh
lettuce. onions. cabbage and Irish prta
toes were The principal farm products
shipped from the T:io ,;rande valley. II,
said farmers IN the valley would ~ elao
10 get 40 i ton pn cars for their cab
hagcS. II hc marketable product he to-
titled. rahlagr> should bring ~91.M 4
ton ia II. Louis.
The witness Was questioned hy :. III
Cowan of Fort Worth. who hrueht on
testimony that damage claims If ~'li.,h
were paid SEVERAL Years age ~ the -
Louis. Brownsville and McXivo railroad
for cahbasrS which could not he shipped
WHY was that crop allowed a. rot
al thc station" asked Mr.. C"wan.
Because the railroad lid moi hay,
facilities for moving II" replied Mr.
DHrirn.
Objections hv counsel for The railroad,
WAS met hy Mr. CnWan. who said: II
IL perfectly relevant: The railroads show
claims thry have paid: We want 10 show
that some of these losses were bccau>,
they lacked facilities To handle ia,
crop
Mr.. OBricn declared that truck farm
ing in the Rio ,;randc valley was me-
profitable.
Among the truck farmers there i ~
prosperity" said the witness. "Thu>,
engaged in truck farming exclu>ivel,
have found that they made \ big mis-
take"
Considerable amount Of lettuce. pota
toes and onions and 4 small crop .
watcrmrlonS. Mr.. DHriru said. wrr
shipped from the valley. tie teStifc'
that the cost of leading. building ven
tilating racks. icing and freight on cal
bage to II. Louis was SIS Il ear an
that this expense was borne by the fan
merS.
His last words before leaving the vii
ness stand were:
II have no complaint with the r%ailroa
service except that the roads are maxim
a mistake in raising the rates from III
Rio Grande valley. Those people nee
encouragement. They went ont Their
and settled on small farms led nv III
expectation that they conld improv
their condition. They are mostly poo
with all invested in their farms. The
have furnished and are furnishing