Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-04-21
VALLEY PORT
PROJECT HITS
HOUSE FLOOR
A ction Is Expected
Friday With Easy
Passage Seen
Especial to The Herald.l

rying an appropriation Of ~s2,158.000
for the Lower Rio Grande Valley
port project. and providing $780,
900 annually for maintenance. the
rivers and harbors bin was report
ed in the house today. Under the
terms OF an agreement earlier In
the week 1t will be taken UP by the
house Friday. April Is.
Practically no opposition Is ex-
pected in the house, but there viii
be some controversy In the senate
over the proposed Great Lakes 70
the Atlantic waterway projects,
Northwestern senators favoring the
st. Lawrence route and Eastern SEN
ators advocating the all-American
voute through the Erie canal. Sem
ate leaders assert they will not per
nit this controversy 70 jeopardize
the general bill, and that in the
event senatorial differences cannot
be composed the proposed water
way will be removed from the bill
and taken up IN a separate meas
ure.
The Opposition
So far as can be aScertatned there
is no opposition In either the house
OF senate TO the Valley project. It
was among the first projects in
serted in the bill and received the
unanimous vote of the committee.
The Valley port appropriation Is
conditioned upon a contribution OF
s2,425, 900 and certain real estate
by the local interests. The bill
carries every proviso requested by
CONGRESSMAN Garner and the
Brownsville and San Benito-Point
Isabel navigation districts, aSSur-
ing no duplication in the cost Of
constructing the inner channel
from BraZos Santiago Pass TO Long
Island. and granting the districts
permission to widen the inner
channels at their own expense. II
deemed necessary.
The Valley project, the largest In
the bill for the Gulf coast area,
ranks ninth among the 100 projects
for which specific appropriations are
made.
The bill carries authorization for
a survey Of a waterway from Har-
lingen, Texas, TO the Gulf OF Mexico
by way Of the Arroyo Colorado TO the
Lagur~ Madre and cut + Padre
Island or such other route as may
be deemed advisable" The cost
OF this survey will be met from the
regular War Department appropria-
ton for this purpose.
No Action
Army engineers stated today that
no action had been taken on the
application OF the Arroyo naviga-
ton district for permit TO cut across
Padre Island opposite the mouth
of the Arroyo Colorado and hat
they are awaiting the final report
of Major Fox of Galveston who is
securing data on tides within the
Laguna Madre. It was stated that
the decision of the engineers woulS
hinge upon the probably effect this
cut would have on the tidal flow
through the proposed ship channel
at Brazos Santiago.
The bill carries the following pro-
visos which were inserted by TN
animous vote of the committee for
the purpose Of clearly interpreting
the governments requirements:
Provided. that no expense shall
be incurred for the acquiring OF
any lands required TO be donated
to the United States for the pur-
pose OF this improvement or for
other purposes,
Direct Route
Provided further. that the chan
mel from the inner side Of the Pass
to Long Island and thence 70 the
turning basin near Brownsville
shall be situated entirely within
what Is known as the Brownsville
navigation district, and shall take
the most direct practicable route
toward Brownsville: and
Provided further. That II both
Brownsville and Point Isabel chan
nels and turning basins are con-
structed the total amount TO be
contributed in cash by local inter
ests shall be in the sum Of $2.425. 900.
thus avoiding duplication Of the
expense Of constructing the chan
mel from the inner side OF the Pass
to Long Island, estimated at $780,
600: and
Provided further, that the width
OF any or all inner channels may be
widened provided such proposed
widening meets the approval of the
chief OF engineers and all expense
incident thereto is paid by the local
interests"