Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-06
EMPLOYMENT
ENGINEER FOR
PORT PLANNED
Dancy Suggests Coun-
ty Take Initiative i'm
Move for Valley
Harbor Project


Employment OF a port engineer to
make a survey of the Point Isabel
harbor project and securing by the
county Of options on such prop
critics as will be necessary fer
terminals and other facilities is adj
voeated By County Judge o. G.
Dancy. who has suggested the mat
ter be taken up mt an early meet
Ing OF the commissioners court.
MY idea is 30 employ a compc-
tent port engineer. have surveys
made. get the names Of all the own
ers with whom we have to deal
and / understand there will be 25
or 80 Of @khem-and then get OBJ
tions on The property. or at least a
deal for such options" Judge Dancy
said in discussing the harbor pro-
ject and the necessity for acquir
ing terminals. "0f course we can
not force options. but by holding
back we can deal at arms length
without running the danger of be-
ing held M.
VIII Make Port Valuable
Il believe that If we handle this
right. the income from terminal fl
cilities will pay at least part Of the
interest and sinking fund on bonds.
! will confess that | am not famil-
Jar 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 \ road to Point
Isabel and vote a bond issue for
the port. we will have at least
a~uadrupled the values Of all real
estate around Point Isabel: ard
while we could unauestionably con
denim lands for port purposes aft
er that, any attorney will tell you
that we would have 10 pay the ac-
tual value on condemnation, thus
penalizing ourselves az least 400
per cent for the improvements that
the public pays for.
"In the interests Of economy, II
would be advisable to take imme-
date action. ascertain exactly what
VIC will need and secure options OF
deals for options on such land as
Is necessary for the development OF
the port"
Request Controversy
Relative to the controversy which
has arisen in the Valley regarding
the port project. Judge Dancy said:
II regret there seems TO be con-
troversy as 10 the location If the
port. I am county Judge at Harlin-
gen Just the same as at Point Isa-
bel. and ! initiated the employment.
Of Hon. Roy Miller AZ a salary OF
$500 per month at the same time
that l initiated the employment OF
Commodore Coboliri at $1,000 a
year. Mr.. Miller to work on the
intracoastal canal project and the
Commodore to work for the port at
Point Isabel. Upon the death OF
Commodore Cobolini ] initiated the
employment Of r. b. Creager as his
successor. Mr.. Creager receiving
$4,000 per year instead Of $4,000 as
reported through error.
"As Mr.. Creager has so ably
illustrated. Brazos Santiago is the
rand. and Brownsville. San Benito.
Harlingen and other Valley towns
may be designated as the fingers
Of the hand Before Houston got
deep water. they first got deep
water at Galveston. Perhaps later
we will get a real deep water port
at Harlingen or Brownsville-but
the start is ut Brazcs Santiago
pass.
II wish 10 emphasize the neces-
Fity OF knowing where we are al
before we vote our bond issue. We
should not 20 ahead and vote a
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 | am advocating immediate
employment Of a port engineer who
can tell us exactly what should be
done"
The county last year secured from
the federal government an option
on the wireless station site at
Point Isabel. and has the privilege
OF closing this opposition at any
time. At the time the option was
secured. IL was announced as the
intention Of the county TO close as
soon as q navigation district is or
ganized. the site 70 be turned over
70 the district at the price paid the
government.
Il is believed the county would
violate no law BY securing options
on other properties 10 be used in
connection with port development.
the options to be merely protection
for the proposed navigation district.
the properties 70 be acquired By
the district as soon as organized
According 70 the recommendations
OF Judge Dancy options would be
sought only on properties recon-
mended BY q competent port engi-
nner.