Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-12-22
TEXAS DAILY PRESS LEAGUE
ForelRn Advertising Representatives
Brownsville's Industrial Area

Considerable criticism has been aroused as a re-
suit Of the recent action Of Mayor A. B. Cole in re-
calling the city ordinance granting a low industrial
electric rate on the basis OF which the Central Power
and Light Company proposed the establishment q a
cold storage and ice plant 10 represent an investment
Of approximately S250,Oo0. Following the recall Of
the ordinance the company has announced il will invest
approximately $4,000 in an ice plant to supply its
Southern Pacific contracts, but that operation Of the
proposed cold storage plant will be impossible unless
. more favorable rate is granted.
Mayor Cole has assigned as his reason FOR recall
ing the ordinance that the company decided not 70
build upon the site where It was understood the plant
wEs 90 be erected and that the cost Of extending an
electric power line TO the site determined upon, pro-
yiding water. sewers and paving would be more than
the city could undertake at this time. The company
however. has indicated that it viii not ask for paving
Ut this time, and interested parties have agreed to
defray the cost Of extending the power line, il neces-
sary. and they also point out that a water line Of suf-
feient size has already been completed to within 400
feet 81 the site selected by the company. Officials Of
the company assert that the site selected, which is in
the northern part q the city, fills every requirement
for the ice and cold storage plants as well as the
railroad connections, and that II the city will grant
the rate provided by the ordinance and supply the
power they are ready to erect the plants Immediately.
The city commission at its last meeting designat-
ed approximately thirty acres belonging TO the city
west Of the Southern Pacific tracks and lying between
Pierce and Ringgold streets, as an industrial area.
This was done after the Central Power and Light Com
pany concluded its purchase Of a site in the northern
part Of the city, and after the mayor had recalled the
more favorable rate.
The impression seems 10 have been created that
the city commission in endeavOring to force the Cen
tral Power and Light Company to either purchase its
site from the city or abs don its cold storage project
and II this Is . fact, the commissions action IS open
10 severe criticism. The company made its proposal
20 the city in good faith; they offered to bring 70
rHN 49, 49,. ~ wrnnsHw wnrHuH mt
cniy by the city but also by the farmers Of contiguous
territory. No one can question the benefits which viii
scerue 10 Brownsville as the result Of the establish
ment Of n cold storage plant, and there is not an in
tsrest in Brownsville that viii not be benefited d.
reetly BY the investment Of a quarter Of a million dol
lars in a plant Of this character.
II the municipal electric plant cannot provide cur
rent Al the rate asked by the company, a rate the
power company Is itself granting similar industries in
other sections Of the Valley, there Is something de-
cldedly wrong with the plant, and il should be reeti-
fled. Brownsville expects TO become an industrial
center. ard Il IS incumbent upon the city TO provide q
rate that viii attract industries. n the city cannot
provide a rate that will compete with that offered in-
austries IN other cities Of South Texas its vision Of an
industrial future win never materialiEe.
Criticism has also been aroused by the fact that
IN the designation q an industrial section, the city
commission has selected an area which, according 20
the general understanding. was 70 be used for a park
ate. Protests are being voiced by some Of the land
owners In that section Of the city who purchased lands
with that understanding. and they are fully justified
IN the protest. 1t i incumbent upon the city 10 fully
nrotert tho interests Of those land owners before
carrying out the proposed development Of the eity's
property - an industrial area.
There "a still a further feature of this proposed
development that is subject TO criticism. i Is not
within the province Or & city 70 utilize It's control of
city utilities for the purpose Of developing property
ewned by the city IN competition with private inter
ests. The principle u socialistic to ~ extreme and
lacks every fundamental Of justice 70 those taxpayers
~ho would be compelled TO witness the use Of their
taxes for the purpose Or financing real estate opera
fions I'm competition with the development Of their
onn Properties.