Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-11-21
PORT PLANS
BROUGHT OUT
AT HEARING
Santa Maria, Boyd
Tract and Part of
La Feria District
Protest Inclusion

an order for an election On or
g~anization Of the Port Isabel-San
benito navigation district with the
submission OF a bond issue in the
amount Of S500.0 600 wa passed by
the Cameron county commissioner
court Wednesday morning following
approval Tuesday afternoon 81 the
petition for organization of the dis
trict.
The district as approved by the
commissioners court included all
territory contained in the original
petition. Commissioners j.. NJ. L0-
gan. $. III. Bell and Constant La
roche voted in favor 81 the petition.
Commissioner T.. J.. Baughn Of Har-
!ingen net voting.
Two petitions for exclusion from
the district were filed By the Santa
Maria and Rovd tract interests. and
a petition 81 Los Frcsnos residents,
who formerly contested inclusion in
the Brownsville navigation district
was presented by a. l.. Montgomery,
San Benito attorney. requesting in-
clusion in the Port Isabcl-San Bcnito
district.
Boyd Tract Protests
The Boyd tract. owned by the
Dixie Development company, COM
prises approximately 1900 acres Of
coastal lands on the so-th end Of
the Buena Vista tract about IL
miles northeast Of Point Isabel. Ap-
proximately 1000 acres are included
in the Santa Maria section which
sought exclusion from the district.
Judge Mitchell Of La Feria. repre-
senting the La Foria irrigation dis
trict. also requested that approx
mately 1000 acres Of hat district,
which have been included III the san
Benito navigation district. be cX-
cluded, stating that the additional
tax would seriously handicap the
improvement program proposed b.
the irrigation district.
Witnesses for the Santa Maria
rrotestants asserted that a port at
either Brownsville or H~arlingen,
both of which have organized dis
%tricts. would prove more convenient
for them than a port at Point Isabel.
Representatives 81 the Santa Maria
irrigation district stated that the
additional tax would seriously han
dicap this work.
At the close Of the testimony
Judge J. @. Louthan stated that
Santa Maria district provided the
connection with HidalEo county, and
hat i'll tho future that county
would doubtless desire TO aid in the
port development program.
To this argument ". +. Carlton
HarlinRen attorney representing the
Santa Maria interests. said that A.
was the intention ut iidalgo coun-
ty 70 aid in the development of the
proposed port on the Arroyo Colo
rado at Harrington. and that county
would not be interested boz any plans
of tho Port Isabel-San Bcnito dis
trict.
Major r. w. Putnam. former Y. s.
army engineer in charge ~ the CHI
Cago district provided some inter
osting developments iu connection
with the port plans. Tie stated that
he considered one port sufficient
for the Lower Rio Grarda Valley
and that the port should lc located
at Point Isabel. where, he stated,
shippinr would have easy access 20
deep water. He said he had made
n thorough inspection of the project
and suggested that the channel hc
cut direct from Braros Santiago pass
10 a point near tho south side of the
townsite. where \ sheltered harhor
could be secured. well protected
against "northers' ard the prevail
ing s-outhcasterly winds. lie suE
geStcd a channel az le1st zoo feet
in bottom width instead M 100 feet
"a proposed by the project plans
adding that the channel eventually
would be widened 90 800 feet. the
same width as that through the pass.
lie also urged that it be dredecd 70
n depth Of rs feet.
The former army engineer assert
"a that the Lower REQ CrarLc Val