Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-04-10
STRIKE SPREAD
HOLDS VALLEYS
SHIPPING BACK
Only Outlet for Shipments
now Is Through New Or
leans Of Memphis

With freight traffic through the
Fort Worth terminals paralyzed fol
lowing the strike Of switchmen there
Friday night, every route for Valley
vegetable shipments 10 the north is
closed, and virtually the only outlets
remaining are through Memphis or
New Orleans, either Of which termin-
ais is likely 10 be affected by the
strike in the course of the next few
days, unless the strike is ended in the
meantime. Since the southeast is
competitive market, the routes are
of little avail
As the great bulk of the Valleys
crops are marketed through Okla
homa and Kansas, through the st.
Louis and Kansas City and Chicago
gateways, each of which terminals is
practically shut down. virtually moth
ing in the way of perishables is NOV
out of this section. Large numbers
of loaded cars are being held on sid
ings awaiting developments. The
strikes at these cities, Detroit, Buffa-
10 and New York are the ones Of
most concern in the Valley.
Between 80 and 40 per cent Of the
Valley cabbage crop is still in the
fields, according to dealers. Espe-
cially with the cabbage crop, accord
ing to shippers, is the situation almost
ruinous. Even if the strike should
last only four or five days, they say.
the crop, already delayed by the car
shortage, would be seriously damaged.
Local dealers would not attempt to
estimate the monetary loss that will
result to the Valley from the strike.
With onions and potatoes practi-
cally ready TO come onto the market,
the already critical situation will be
aggravated. These crops, however,
will not suffer as the cabbage crop is
suffering and will suffer because they
can be held for a time without serious
damage.
Both growers and shippers, who
were yesterday feeling very much en-
couraged over the relief of the car
shortage. are today feeling very pessi-
mistic over the outlook.
HOUSTON, Texas, April TO-
Blanket embargoes on all freight
shipments to Chicago, St. Louis. Kan
sas City, Buffalo and New York have
resulted from the strike of the switch
men in those cities.
Local freight offices announced
Friday that even perishable freight
was included in the embargo and
that no shipments to those cities or
through them could be accepted by
the railroads at present
Just when the Lower Rio Grandc
Valleys refrigerator car shortage
problem was being solved and cars
were being solved and cars were be-
ing furnished faster than they could
be loaded, along comes this general
embargo against northern and eastern
cities as a result of the strike and
now cars can't be moved to the larg-
er markets.
The. Gulf Coast Lines, serving the
Valley" Friday morning were un-
able to get cars to, through or via
Kansas City, Pittsburg, Detroit, Buff
falo or New York because of general
freight embargoes placed by lines en-
tering He southwest. In Houston
there were lat cars loaded with Val
ley cabbage and only "a cars of that
number could be moved.
Officials # the railroad state that
they have solved the car shortage.
and il was announced that Friday
morning there were 90 cars of cab
hage ut Harlingen held up, 65 cars al
Vanderbilt and lat cars in Houston.
A total of l25 cans had been placed
for loading and $50 cars were avail
| able for loading. At the same time
cars were arriving at the rate of $50
per day, or at a rate foster than they
could be loaded.
The company has 5000 tons OF
ice either in storage or in cars and
there is a weeks supply available
which will enable the company tC
keep loaded cars iced for a time. Ir
the meantime, it is hoped that the
strike viii be settled and the embar.
goes raised, permitting again a free
movement of Valley products to the
northern and eastern markets.
The Southern Pacific lines an.
nounced Friday that one line into
New York, the Pennsylvania, was
still open Friday, but that walkout
is expected at any time. All other