Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1921-10-02


re Jeff. more than justifying the labor
and money expenditure which II IN
wolves.
A general statement Of the COM
plants grievances, position and the
remedy sought, by r. C. Fullbright
their chief counsel. marked the open
ing Of the session. Attorney Exam
iner Mackley presided. Immediately
in front on his left were Attorney
Fllbright, William Graves his assist
ant and traffic expert and at the ex-
aminer's right sat the railroads chief
counsel, Frank Andrews, and j. "A.
Brown. general freight agent. r. III.
Kelley assistant general attorney and
]. ID. Rauman, assisting Mr.. Brown
Directly in front Mrs. r. c. Pierce,
official stenographer, took down the
record verbatim.
Outside the railing there were
hardly twenty five persons present,
including witnesses for the complain
ants, but the small audience
appeared intently | mt ere st Z u
In the proceedings. straining for
ward in the first two rows Of chars
TO hear the speakers. The afternoon
was excessively warm and half those
present inside the railing had dis
carded coats.
Tn his opening remarks outlining
the complaint Mr. FulIbright called
attention to the illustration afford
ed of an alleged injustice inflicted
hy the existing differential in the
case of the first class rate from
Shreveport TO Laredo, which II 22 l2
cents per 100 pounds. while from
Shreveport TO Brownsville II is 50
cents. Laredo is in common point
territory. The full measure Of relief
sought by the plaintiffs, he said. Il
co have the entire lower valley also
included in common point territory
This the Gulf Coast Lines contend.
Attorney Andrews made It known, Is
entirely too sweeping proposition.
While admitting that the rates re-
cuire some modification, he said that
counter proposals are toward eff
fecting this by re-adjusting rates on
certain classes and commodities on
"A mileage scale down from the pre-
sent boundary line OF Texas com
mon point territory. which runs
through Sinton. This proposition. he
believed. would afford what relief
valley shippers were entitled to and
at the same time protect the railroads
from "an unjust swing Of the pen
dulum in the opposite direction
The differential in itself is not
evil, Mr.. Andrews suggested, but he
said. sthe subject has been one Of so
much adverse discussion in this re-
gion that the very word has come in
to i'll -epute and excited considerable
unthinking prejudice. He declared
that the rate situation could be re-
madied without changing the south
erIy boundary Of common point ter
ritory at Sinton and opposed any
change.
Introduction of testimony by the
eompIainants then began with Mr..
Ful'bright calling G.. Il. Jessup to tho
witness stand to give "a sketch of
general development of the lower
valley, showing the enormous strides
made in the past 20 years. Complete
statistics embracing the status Of the
region in 1900 and DEVELOPMENT Of
population, agriculture, business and
banks since that period had already
been exhaustively compiled by com
mittee formed for the purpose and
were on hand neatly tahulated to
turn into the documentary record.
Part Of the progress OF the valley,
more than covering the past decade,
Mr.. Jessup was able to outline from
personal recollection, as he first came
TO this section In the fall of 1908. He
was asked 70 state his experiences
and spoke substantially as follows:
al came TO the valley in the fall
of 1908. on about thirteen years
ago. and for the first two or three
years was connected with one or two
canal systems that were started
=bout that time. Some four or five
years following that period became
connected with number Of proper
ties In the vicinity of this citv and
five years ago with others including
the Browne estate Of which became
manager. Some Of these properties
| am still connected with although
control has changed. I am now in
charge Of plantation of 1000 acres
which il under irrigation.
ssHave you had opportunities TO
observe in a general way the growth
of the valley industries since your
coming?" asked Attorney Fullbright.
fContinued On Pagc2)