Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-07-14
Defer ACTION
ON PETITION
San Benito Navigation
District Opposed
At Hearing

Strong opposition to the calling Of
mn election Tor the creation OF the
proposed san BenitO Navigation Dis
trict developed on the part Of land
ed interests at hearing held Thurs
day morning before the Cameron
county commissioners court which
deferred action Oh the matter until
next Thursday.
Three witnesses. Of whom w. II
Anderson, engineer for the proposed
district, was the principal one, were
placed on the stand during the
course Of the hearing.
Proponents Of the navigation dis
trict. for whom Judge Louthan Of
San Bcnito was the legal representa-
tive at the hearing. pointed out its
purpose Of building a canal TO La
guna Madre. utilizing lakes and re-
sacas along the way. TO haul freight
BY water.
Opponents ~ the issue. repre-
sentcd by four attorneys sought to
show that the advocates of the dis
trict had failed 70 make their case in
that they provided only dry chan
mel.
Needs Additional Water
Mr.. Anderson, consulting en-
gineer, admitted On the stand that
tnc navigation system would require
certain amount OF water from the
Rio Grande, and the opponents ds-
clared that the district provided o.
Isl for channel and did not have
provision for supplying needed
amounts NJ water. Mr.. Anderson said
that ID would require canal 70 the
river 70 supply the water fequireC
but that II had been suggested tnag
IT could be taken from the san Be
nito irrigation district system.
To the oppositiol's claim that
much serpage would result from the
cnanncl IL is proposed 10 ircdgc, Mr.
Anaerson replied that such lands
as would be subject to secpage are
OF little value and that the damage
would not be material
The opposition attorneys. led by
III. l.. Yates. tried 40 show that the
three locks in the channel would not
accommodate the type Of bargcs
used on the Mississippi river or
would be used between Galveston
and Tampico when the intracoastal
canal is completed. Locks viii pro-
vide for 40-foot barges.
Survey l. Authorized
Judge Louthan brought out the
fact that survey Of the Intra-
coastal canal had been authorized
from Corpus Christi 10 the south Of
the Rio Grande. This was brought
out in an effort te controvert the
admission secured from Mr.. Ander-
son BY Judge Yates that the only
development Of any sort provided
for by public money was AZ Point
Isabel. Possibility of the Arroyo
Colorado tHaflingen) and San Be-
nito navigation districts being con-
nerted with the Point Isabel project
By means 0f channel built by own
ers of land along the coast.
Opposition lawyers also tried TO
show that the district would come
under Article 3. Section 50 of the
state constitution and thereby would
Jeopardizc the county's road bond
capacity but Judge Lorsthan de-
clarrd that III the petition dif not
conform t. Article ~. Section 80
that he would eat the statue and the
petition both. tie tried to make "a
change but the motion was over
ruled on the objection of opposition
on the ground that notices had been
posted without the change
Other witnesses besides Mr.. An
derson were Major r.. O'Brien on
the matter of valuations and acre
AGES ard County Judge Oscar G.
nancv testified as o. the financial
statement of the county.
y. H. Abney rcBrescntcd the Ahney
tract Harhert Davenport represent
IA Al Parker. owners of the Box
ranch and others: Judge Yates rep
resented s. X H7llam and others
and c. X. Richards reDrese-ted the
Wells estate AL ~ which interests
opposed creation nf The district.