Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-04-05

( Company cars TO be sent at once to
the Rio Grande Valley as well as all
railroad-owned refrigerator cars.
W. w. Allen, one of the members
Of the committee of farmers from San
Benito who came to San Antonio and
Friday night left for Houston. tele-
graphed from Houston yesterday that
IT was learned the railroads had not
carried out this order to send all re-
frigerator cars to the Valley and that
this was the cause Of the shortage.
Assurances seem to be at hand now
that the interstate commerce commits
sion will see that this order is carried
out, which promises relief. Mr.. Paw
kett win leave today for Washington.
ID. O., TO appear before the interstate
commerce commission on other mat
ters and will at the same time take up
with the commission the matter Of re-
frigerator cars for the Lower Rio
Grande Valley.
In addition, it is learned that the
Southern Pacific has directed that all
It's empty refrigerator cars, with the
exception Of the Pacific Fruit Express
ears. Will be turned over to the San
Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf for use in
handling the cabbage crop in the
Lower Rio Grande Valley. This viii
amount to 10 to 20 cars day, il n
believed
Estimates made earlier in the sea-
son by Mr.. Pawkett was that $500
cars would be needed to move the La
redo onion crop, which would start
early in April and reach its height by
about April %; that 5000 cars woui1
be needed TO move the cabbage crop
from the Lower Rio Grande VALLEY
and that 1000 cars would be needed
70 move the tomato crop from the Rio
Grande Valley. These estimates. a.
least on the valley, seem To be borne
out by conditions. The Laredo crop
i only now starting to move.
Glen II. Tussing of San Benito SAID
yesterday that earlier in the season
when the cabbage crop first started to
move cars were had without a great
deal of difficulty. Ii has only been
within the last two or three weeks that
the shortage has become acute. How
ever, the cabbage crop has continued
maturing and when a cabbage reaches
certain stage of growth it bursts
open and is ruined.
Refrigerator cars in the United
7 States are 10000 short Of the esti-
mated needs and this is one of the
things that has prevented getting the
cars into the Valley On top of this,
cars were badly scattered during tine
government control Of the lines.
In addition TO securing promises ot
relief and learning great deal about
I the car shortage, Glen II. Tussing yes
terday learned from Mr. Pawkett thai
the Rio Grande Valley is paying a dif
\ ferential Of 6 6i2c per 100 pounds on
all the cabbage and potatoes that go
out of the Valley over Laredo, which
is 100 miles farther from the market.
II is estimated that this year there
will be a total of 5000 cars of cabbage
% out of the Valley, or z total &c
about $4,000 tons II costs Sl.3O a
ton more to ship cabbage from th,.
Valley than from Laredo, or SIS. .001
on this years cabbage crop alone.
And the Valley is 100 miles nearer
the market.
Before returning to his home a.
San Benito last night Mr.. Tussng said
he would call this fact to the atten-
tion of the farmers of the Valley IT
once He believes if the differential
can not be removed it should at least
be reduced, and he will seek to make
arrangements to have Mr.. Pawkett
iauthorized to take the matter up with
the interstate commerce commission