Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-10-18
VALLEY ACTIVE
SAYSSAFFORD
NJ. P. President And
Party Visit Sec
ton Tuesday

II. R. Stafford, of Houston, ex-
ecutive vice president Of the Mis-
souri, Pacific lines, arrived in
Brownsville on the morning train
Tuesday for a few hours visit. The
trip here was lust a customary in
spection and goodwill visit bearing
no especial significance" the ex-
ecutive declared.
He was accompanied here by w. G.
Choate, general manager, Horace
Booth, general traffic manager, both
of Houston, and G. c. Kennedy, OF
kingsville. division superintendent.
The party made the trip as far as
Harlingen in the private car of Mr.
Stafford. but abandoned it there fol
the trip here on the regular train
Shortly after their arrival here the
party left in an automobile for q
trip to the up-Valley towns.
The Lower Rio Grande Valley II
the most active section anywhere or
the Missouri Pacific lines just al
this time. Mr.. Stafford declared. "Thi:
is not a haphaZard guess, but n state
ment of facts based on reports re-
ceived in our headquarters daily
from all territories covered by oui
system" he stated.
Flood Causes Depression
"The disastrous Mississippi FLOOD
Of last spring has left n resultant
depression all over the United States
which is felt to some extent in thi.
section, but not nearly as greatly al
in some other territories. The rail
roads are probably in a bett po
sition than most enterprises TO cor
rectly gauge the commercial pulse o.
the country, and think ! speak will
authority when say that the United
States in general and the Mississippi
valley in particular, is coming ou
of the flood depression ut this time
Within the next few months / ex
pect to see business on norma
plane all over the country" he as
serted.
The official was strong in hi
faith in the Valley. "We have been
and still are in the midst Of a mos
ambitious program for this section
program that extends well into tn,
future-and / believe the Valley will
more than justify this program
within the next few years.
"The most serious problem facin,
the railroads Of the United State
today is that of highway freigh
traffic." he declared. "At the pres
ent time these inroads into the bus
mess of the railroads is not Of
general nature. but is rapidly be
coming so. This year more than 9
per cent of the cotton growing il
the Corpus Christi district wa
hauled to the wharves over the high
ways.
Public Institution
Railroads are as much a publ
institution as the highways, and q
such are entitled to public patron
age Ii is not the consumer or tn
producer that gets the benefits o
the false low rates Of highwa
freight traffic" de declared, "bu
the middleman."
The railroads OF the nation hav
builded with an eye to the future
and there is billions Of public none
tied up in the enterprises at thi
time. Mr.. Stafford stated. Whethe
this money is to be a paying invest
ment or a loss, depends largely O
how the public reacts to the increas
ing demands of the motor units 70
highway freight traffic. he declared
The official added that the oil
theory that railroads are controlle
by n group Of bankers and bi
moneyed interests has been explode
long ago. "A look at the list Of stoc
holders of any Of our national raj
roads would be a revelation to mos
people. The varied business inter
ests represented there is surprising,
he stated.