Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-12-19
The Battle for Deep Water

The Brownsville navigation districts ship channel
and port project is the first deep water move in the
Valley that has assumed what might be termed def
mite form and which proposes a comprehensive and
we'll financed program for port development.
For over half a century the Lower Rio Grande Val
ley has fought "a deep water. Leader has succeeded
leader plan after plan has been proposed, and every
known means q financing such projects, with the ex-
oeption Of organizing a navigation district and voting
the necessary bonds, has been tried.
Thousands Of Valley residents have a distinct recoI-
lection Of the channel fund campaign, the s. o. S. drive
Of several years ago; the movements to finance re-
habilitation Of the Rio Grande railway and ~constru:-
tion Of a pier. They will also recollect the heart
breaking efforts to collect BY public subscription the
funds with which to carry on the battle, the innumer-
able committees organized, the strenuous efforts Of
those who visioned the future Of the Valley with water
transportation providing an outlet for the almost I'M
limited tonnage this section can produce.
Brownsville and contiguous territory, after years Of
effort, has proposed the only logical method Of secur-
ing a port, and it is now the only proposition before
the Valley which assures meeting the requirements of
the federal government and providing sufficient funds
TO construct a ship channel and port. The proposal 70
Issue bonds in the amount Of 100000 is the first con-
crete and comprehensive proposition advanced through
out all the years of strenuous endeavor to secure
water transportation and its attendant benefits. Here
Sfore port efforts have been through the medium OF
committees Of philosophical citizens who sought to
raise funds by public subscription. and though they
meet a generous response the effort proved urproduc-
tive other than to educate the Valley 70 the need 81
water transportation.
Brownsville has vigorously supported every por.
project preached in the past half ceLtury. Residents
Of the city and contiguous territory have given freely
Of their money and time 70 advance the cause Of deep
water. They assumed leadership in the effort to organ
Ire the Valley, and when the crucial point arrived and
IL became evident thst upon the territory included in
the Brownsville district rested the responsibility Of
meeting the government requirements and providing
tie necessay funds, that responsibility was accepted
by the leaders.
That the voters OF the Brownsville navigation dis
trict will ratify at the election next Saturday the plans
presented BY those who accepted leadership in the eff
fort to secure for Brownsville and the entire Valley
a deep water port Is practically assured. The voters are
cognizant OF the fact that At last a definite program
has been prepared and presented that upon them
rests the responsibility Of putting over" the port
project, and they can be depended upon TO co-operats
as vigorously and efficiently as they have in the past
whnever q project Of vital Importance 4, the city, the
county or the Valley has been submitted to them.
The only question is the size Of the majority. and
II should be so overwhelming that there can be no
question as TO the interest Of the voters and the intent
or the district to carry on until the ship channel and
port are completed and opened to provide cheap trans
portstion rates TO all Of South Texas