Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-11-19
The Brownsville Navigation
District

approval by the commissioners court Saturday cf
- apphestion Of a number Of taxpayers for the or
4 ? inc Brownsville navigation district Is
~ '"s' deiinite step in connection with meeting TIE
sO'ernment requirements for a Valley port and assur.
ING q deep water harbor which will prove .; ;rrsIc,,,
pe oeneiit TO the entire Lower Rio Grande country.
fne next STRIP will be an election on December %.
at which the voters Of the district aiiI a., !,
e-'VuV'VVO bond issue 10 meet the federal conditions
santiago pass to a point near Brownsville. That this
ana finance construction Of a ship channel from Brazos
nond issue will be voted is practically assured. Though
there has been objection raised by some land owners 70
inclusion IN the district, a careful check indicates tina:
between 30 and 20 per cent Of the property owners
within the district are enthusiastically in favor Of the
harbor project and will support the bond issue.
In this movement tho Brownsville navigation dis
trlct is protecting the entire Valley in assuring COM
pliancc with the requirements Of the government. The
bill recommended By the rivers and harbors committee
OF the house carries an appropriation Of sl,00O,00O for
construction and $4,000 annually for maintenance,
contingent upon the Valley interests providing $780,
eco for construction and deciding TO the government the
tips Of BraEoS and Padre islands. Failure OF the
valley interests to meet these requirements would re-
suit in abandonment OF the port project, and at least
eight years would elapse before another project could
be worked out and reach the point now attained.
The Brownsville district will be prepared TO meet
the government requirements by the time the bill is
f--N-Nf WNNN Nh Iat0'1f ~ 10N 11hthh WV oh0Ak
session which convenes in December, and it will be the
objective OF the district TO inaugurste work on the
harbor project rs soon as possible. Zach year Of delay
has cost the Valley millions of dollars in freight rates
and the loss which has accrued as a result of handi-
Gaping Valley development will add many additional
millions to the total. To eliminate this loss and trans
form il into profits for the entire Valley is the objec-
tive Of the navigation district.
The Brownsville district has inaugurated this move
nn,nt with the intention 81 supplying the Valley with
port facilities adequate 70 meet the demands Of a rap
idly developing section. That the channel ultimately
will be deepened to so feet is generally regarded as as
sured. but the first objective must Of necessity be to
meet the government requirements and assure 3 l6-
foot channel. With this accomplished and water trans
portstior established. the problem Of . deeper channel
uil be practically solved.
That the Brownsville district and the port project
will Re subjected TO attacks from various sources Is 70
be expected. No great public utility Of this character
has ever failed to draw 3 certain amount Of criticism
and objection. But the Brownsville district has ample
financial resources 10 put it over and at No time IN
the history Of the Lower Valley has there been such
unanimity OF opinion as is being expressed relative to
tho development Of a deep water port and ship channel
which will assure facilities for every part Of South
Texas and northeastern Mexico.