Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-02-01
Texas Investment In Cameron
County

-Four years agc IS month the Texas legislature
VISITED Cameron coaA-s. Every member who could
get away from his desk at Austin was brought to the
county on a special train. The legislators were shown
the entire section Subject to floods from the Rio
GrsSde. and were urged to pass the tax remission bill
to finance flood control works.
Addressing the legislators at the Stuars Club house,
County Judge 0. c. Dancy stated: Cameron county is
not asking the state OF texas for a gift; we are ask
ing the state to make an investment"
Veteran legislators smiled and expressed their
sksf.sesms statsv< that they considered It their duty
10 prevent raids on the state treasury, engineered IN
der the guise OF Investments" One Of the veterans
remarked: Il will vote for tax remission. and will
BE- well satisfied IL we get a return in twenty years "
The legislature passed the bin RENTING IL certs
Of the state tax to finance the bonds for flood control
Within two years the valuations Of Cameron county,
as a direct result Of the FLOOD control program, had
increased to the point where the state was receiving
approximately the same revenue from the county as
II 1854. This year the state will receive over $4,000
more in revenue than in 1924. Had the legislature
refused the IA Tor which Cameron county appealed
II is probable thai several years would have elapsed
before valuations would have increased to the point
where the state would receive what K now derives
from this county.
Cameron county takes considerable pride in the fact
that tax remission proved q profitable investments for
the state Of Texas. Within a few months after an
nouneenent was made that the flood control program
had been financsd, development to a degree unknown
prior to that time was underway. Thousands Of acres,
which had been menaced by the floods Of the Rio
Grande, were developed, and arc now adding 10 the
total wealth production of Cameron county. There
has been no perpendicular increase Of valuations. II
has been the normal increase-the result Of flood con-
trol, highway extensions and building operations, all
Of which have been enhanced by the flood control
program.
Since 1924. the year prior to enactment Of the tax
from $e5,2e0.Ois to s4a.445,4 ss in 1928. and it is safe
to predict that the ratio Of increase will continue for
at least : decade, with probable acceleraton in the
event the Brownsville seaport project is approved.
This increase has been due to development Of new
lands, extension Of highways and building operations.
but the fact should be borne In mind that II the flood
problem of the county had not been solved through
state tax remission, much Of this development would
have been delayed until the county had attained q
financial status which would have made financing Of
the work possible.
The state Of Texas came 10 the aid Of Cameron
county In the hour Of need, and both the state AMI
eoasss have profited. When those legislators who
voted for Cameron county tax remission scan the state
tax returns from this county they can take a very
to grasp the potentialities Of this section, AID that the
investment they made for the state is returning divi-
dends which will increase each year as the county de-
yelops its ri=a natural resources which no longer are
Esswced by the periodic floods OF the Rio Grande.