Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-06
EMPLOY ENT
ENGINEER FOR
PORT
Dancy Suggests Coun-
ty Take Initiative in
Move for Valley
Harhor Project

Employment OF q nort engineer 10
make = survey Of the Point Isabel
harbor project and securing by the
county Of options on such prop
critics al will be necessary for
terminals and other facilities is adj
yocated BY County Judge O. n.
Dancy. who has suggested the mat
ter be taken uD al an early meet
ing OF the commissioners court.
my idea is 70 employ a compe-
tcnt port engineer, have surveys
made. get the names Of all the own
ers with whom we have TO deal
and / understand there viii be 25
or 90 OF them-and then get OPP
tons on the property. or at least q
deal for such options" Judge Dancy
said in discussing the harbor pro-
feet and the necessity for acquir
Ing terminals. "0f course we car
not force options, but by holding
back we can deal at arms length
without running the danger of be-
Ing held up.
viii Make Port Valuable
II believe that If we handle this
right. the income from terminal ia
~eilities will pay at least part Of the
interest and sinking fund on bonds
I will confess that ] am not famil-
lar with these things. and that is
my reason for urging the employ
ment OF a port engineer who can
give us expert advice.
"Once we pave a road to Point
Isabel and vote n bond issue for
the port. we will have at least
a~uadrupied the values Of all real
estate around Point Isabel; and
while we could unquestionabsy con-
denim lands for port purposes aft
er that. any attorney will tell you
that we would have to pay the &C
tual value on condemnation, thus
penalizing ourselves az least 400
ger eent for the improvements that
the public pays for.
"In the interests Of economy, Il
would be advisable 70 take imme-
date action. ascertain exactly what
we will need and secure options o.
deals for options on such land as
is necessary for the development OF
the port"
Request Controversy
Relative 10 the controversy which
has arisen in the Valley regarding
the port project. Judge Dancy said
IL regret there seems to be CON
~troversy as 20 the location II the
port. | am county Judge az Harlin'
yen Just the same as az Point lsa-
bel. and / initiated the employment
of Hon. Roy Miller at a salary OF
$500 per month at the same time
that | initiated the employment Of
Commodore Coboliri at $4,000
year. Mr.. Miller to work on the
intracoastal canal project and the
Commodore to work for the port al
Point Isabel. Upon the death Of
Commodore Cobolini | initiated the
employment of r. B. Creager as his
successor. Mr.. Creager receiving
$1,000 per year instead of $4,000 As
reported through error.
LAS Mr.. Crearer has 50 ably
illustrated. BRACES Santiago is the
hand. and Brownsville. San Benito.
Harlingen and other Valley towns
'ay be designated as the fingers
the hand. Before Houston got
.eep water. they first got deer
water a. Galveston. Perhaps later
\ we will get a real deep water port
at Harrington or Brownsville-bul
the start is at Brazos Santiago
pass.
Il wish to emphasize the neces-
sity Of knowing where we are al
before wo vote our bond issue. We
should not 20 ahead and vote q
million dollars Of bonds, which
would have to be paid for by an
unborn generation. without getting
the opinion Of an expert. For that
reason I am advocating immediate
employment Of a port engineer who
can tell US exactly what should be
done"
Option on Wireless Site
The county last year secured from
the federal government an option
on the wireless station site al
Point Isabel. and has the privilege
OF closing this opposition at ans
time. At the time the option was
secured. IL was announced as the
intention Of the county TO close a
soon as a navigation district Is or
ranired. the site 70 be turned over
to the district AZ the price paid the
government.
II is believed the county would
violate no law by securing options
on other properties to be used in
connection with port development
the options TO be merely protection
for the proposed navigation district
the properties to be acquired by
the district as soon as organized
According TO the recommendations
of Judge Dancy options would be
sought only on properties recon-.
mended By a competent port engi.
neer.