Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-16
TRAFFIC WORK
OF REGIONAL
BODY OUTLINED
Service Extended Has
Proved Valuable To
Valley, w. II. Bur-
nett Asserts

practical and common sense SER
vice to It's membership, services
which can be measured in actual
dollars and cents. is the erdeavor
Of the South Texas Chamber Of
Commerce." according to Billie
Burnett, Valley manager Of the or
ganization, who has recently re-
turned to Brownsville.
"In addition TO the more or less
intangible efforts Of the South Tex
as chamber, which have resulted in
a cohesion Of activity and a growing
spirit Of cooperation throughout the
region" said Burnett, "the organi-
zation has accomplished a number
Of definite and concrete things
which directly affect the success
and prosperity Of every citizen Of
Brownsville and Of the Lower Rio
Erande Valley.
Notable among these definite ser
vices il the recent work of the traf-
fic department Of the South Texas
yhamber in fighting for and secur-
Ing an enormous saving TO Valley
shippers.
"Most Of the railroad traffic prob
lens OF the Valley are tied up in
the volumnious proceedings Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
generally known as the Consolidated
Southwestern Rate Cases. The
South Texas Chamber Of Commerce
has been a party TO these cases
since It vas organized and has con-
sistently combated the proposed
mileage proposition and favored
group adjustments. There Is little
doubt that our fighs against this
proposition had a great deal to do
with the final decision Of the COM
mission whereby group adjustments
were made.
ITO illustrate the results of our
activity in this matter, the differ
ence on first class freight from
Brownsville and other points in the
Valley TO st. Louis would have been
$3.14, whereas under the adjustment
which we advocated and which was
adopted the difference is S2.S7, or a
saving on first class fruit of 81
cents per hundred. Citrus frui
which is prescribed as n half OF
first class shows a saving Of II
rents per hundred"
'In addition to this activity, the
commission prescribed minimum
weights Of Ears which had the et-
fect Of increasing the minimum
weight on lettuce and greens
from 1880 pounds to 10000 pounds.
We opposed this and asked that the
old minimum weights be retained.
Our petition was granted resulting
in a continuance of the minimum
weight OF 1880 pounds instead q
10000 pounds as originally pre-
scribcd. Due to the fact that il is
not possible to load even 1880
pounds Of lettuce etc. in a standard
refrigerator car this action on u
part means that Valley shippers are
being saved the payment Of freight
charges on $500 pounds for every
car of this nature shipped
VALLEY merchants A the result
of our activity in this matter are
saving q cents on every hundred
pounds on all first class freight in
and out Of the Valley; such freight
rs dry goods, clothing. notions and
commodities of that character; and
they are making corresponding saw
ings on other classes OF merchan-
disc including agricultural imple-
ments. stoves, w~oodenware, furniture
and the general line Of traffic o
ing into the Valley.
at Is very conservative for me
to say that altogether the reductions
resulting from our activities before
the Interstate Commission through
our traffic department will save the
Lower Rio Grande Valley approx
mately a quarter Of a million dollars
per year. The saving averages
about s26 per carload on all classes
of freight In and out, ard in some
manner affects every citizen Of the
Valley.
The traffic department Of our
organization IS closely scrutinizing
all matters of rate structure which
affect the Valley and is eager TO
continue to serve this section.
"This service has been given with
out any cost Of any nature to the
Valley excepting the membership
dues paid BY Valley citizens TO the
South Texas chamber. There Is no
section of the country that needs
and can cash in on the benefits Of
fered By a region chamber more than
the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The
South Texas chamber is growing in
strength swiftly and as it grows Il
becomes more and more a powerful
force. which can and should be used
by the Valley citizenship. Of
course the traffic department Is
only one Of the lines of endeavor
Of our organization and the above
instance Is simply an illustration Of
one Of the many types Of service