Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-02-09
IN OUR
VALLEY

| iSs 10 SounuihS IA S'eAy SsoeS ~
city"
That statement is made in. an adver-
tsement in The Literary Digest, the
advertisement being that of Coral Ga
bles, Florida.
II is challenged by "a Brownsville
admirer" in a message to the Browns
willie Chamber of Commerce.
Correctly so. Florida has no monop-
oily on American tropics"
There are real tropics in America.
But Florida is not tropical, not any
more than this country. 1t is perhaps
semi-tropical, as is this country.
The american tropics" are south Of
% 1-2 degrees latitude. The Tropic of
Cancer passes through Victoria, Mexico,
land just a few miles above Tampico.
Brownsville is on latitude 26, Miami
5 few miles further north than
Brownsville.
Coral Gables paid for the space in the
literary Digest. The Literary Digest,
having been paid for the space, doubt
ess will not be worried so very much
bout the statement made in the ad-
Fertisement, but it will invite Browns
lille and this country to tell its story
n the columns of the Literary Digest
ust as Coral Gables has.
The Brownsville Chamber of Com
nerce however, has written the pub
ishers of The Literary Digest to put
hem on notice that if they would fur
her "truth in advertising" they will
bot permit such a patiently inaccurate
tatement to be made. A copy of the
etter was sent to Coral Gables. Here
is:
Knowing that The Literary Digest
strong exponent of truth in adver
Ing, ] wish to call your attention to
Tad appearing in your magazine IN
ne December 26 issue, on Coral Ga
Hes, in which they state, The call Of
he only American tropics is sounding
n every state and city,
IF you will glance at map of the
United States, you will find that
brownsville, Texas, is practically in the
lame latitude as Miami, Florida, and
se- have practically the same climate
ks that city and every tropical fruit and
Vegetable grown in Miami can be, or is,
grown in the Brownsville country, and
hs matter of fact i am under the inn
preston that we successfully grow sew
eral tropical fruits that they do not.
81 am enclosing herewith small
eaflet on the Brownsville country. We
Ire getting out an illustrated booklet
which will be ready for distribution
within short time and will be glad
10 send you a copy"
Finance Commissioner J. S. Ford of
he Brownsville commission has a math-
ematical problem placed before him by
his brother commissioners.
Roughly, Brownsville owes 100000
pf which about 100000 comprises six
percent warrants issued for various
purposes.
The commission wants to do some
btreet paving, wants to build more sew
ers, storm and sanitary, but there is a
lax rate that's about up to the limit.
Likewise thei Indebtedness is as much
hs the bonding capacity will allow.
But if the warrants are refinanced by
bonds running long terms, reduced in
terest rate can be secured, and the tax
rate for interesting and. sinking fund
torrespondingly reduced.s >
Brownsville has reached the point
where it must spend anywhere from
B5O0,00O to $l,OOO,OOO for improvements
adequate to the needs of the city, but
bn the present basis Of valuations, it
ean't be did"
But Commissioner Ford. is trying to
figure it out all out. s
And he's said to be "bear" when it
omes to mathematics.
We don't know whether it's "deep
ark secret" but we've been told that
Commissioner Ford, before coming to
he Valley headed prominent "prep -
chool up the state.
The Weslaco News is doing a very
inc thing in fostering a "More Staple
Cotton Contest" for farmers on the
ands of the American Land & Irriga-
ion Company.
A total of $3.50 in cash prizes will be
ffered, and doubtless this will be in
Continued on Page Two.)