Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-01-15
IN Nq Q 'T3
BY CHARLES HALL

DRESS dispatch headlines this
morning read to the effect that
the Laredo port will be reopen
ed about Friday.
Friendly cities Of the border town,
which has endured so much stress
lately, congratulate her on this an
nouncement. But 1t will probably be
many days before anything like her
former status in the shipping world
Is restored.
Meanwhile Brownsville has been
put on the shipping map in a man.
ner which it is believed she will not
entirely lose. Some OF the brokers
here intend to make t.leir Browns
Vile offices permanent. Brennan 81
Corrigan have announced to this
effect. Many of the other brokers
will have representatives here. From
this added shipping. many other
things will naturally follow for the
benefit OF Brownsville and the VAL
ley.
THE misfortune of one city has
brought to Brownsville dis
tinct advantages but there is
probably no one thing that will help
held a big city like that deep wa
port which has been the goal
drso many months.
A deep water port for Browns
vile is % probably nearer than
ever before in the history of the
idea. We should leave no stone I'M
turned to point out that our added
shipping facilities make a greater
need for 1t.
The day that Brownsville gets
such an outlet TO deep water ship
ping, on that day she will begin to
take her place as n of the most
important coast cities. II will add
to her growth like no other n fac
tor now conceived by her citizen
ship. In fact the nation needs
Brownsville as a shipping center.
INFORMATION has been brought
to the engineer Of this column.
which If true will give another
argument in Washington, and else
where. why Brownsville should have
such a port.
This is the so-called Bannan line.
Frankly, we never heard OF the Ban
nan line until the information was
placed in our hands by a newcomer
10 this city.
It Is said that when James z. Hill
was building his railroad TO the west
he had an engineer named Ban
nan through whose efforts an ina
ginary line was drawn from Duluth
10 Denver. Equal rates TO all ship
ping west of that slanting line. This
line, IL Is said, extends from Denver
TO Brownsville. forming somewhat
OF an obtuse angle. 1t is now said
that all freight to a port at Browns
vile can enjoy the same rate from
those far distant cities on the other
side OF that line as could be enjoy
ed from-Say Corpus Christi ID
Brownsville. or any nearby eastern
point. 1t might be well 70 look fur
Their into that angie.
go
ALREADY Brownsville is feeling
" an influx Of people. Whether
they be winter visitors o. per-
sons coming to establish a perman-
ent home was not obtained. But re-
quests for homes during the past
week or so have been made at the
Brownsville Chamber of Commerce
at the rate Of eight or ten a dag.
Now, there Is another angle 70 this.
The homes are hard TO find. Some
one wanting a safe investment
should make a survey. They might
find either nice efficiency apart
ments or good neatly furnished
kacmes which can be rented for
Z netting like 500 a month, an at
trsctive proposition. Anyway. more
homes right now would help out. II
is not known how many home seek
ers never reach the Chamber Of
Commerce TO put in their petitions.
AND on top OF all this some n Is
III trying to get the city Of Browns
vile in the Monkey business.
This will probably give waggish Wi
.ers opportunities to try their hands
out at punning and terse sayings.
But from all we could gather from
the letter on the matter, the pro-
motors are in dead earnest.
II is proposed TO build for the
city a monkey island TO cost from
S $500 up. No information was given
as TO what Brownsville will do with
the monkeys after she gets them.
Personally we never could see much
in any kind of monkey business.
ILL over the state there is much
~ racket over the fees collectors OF
delinquent taxes are receiving.
while suing on a percentage basis
of what they obtain.
Many are astounded at sums like
$4,000 which T reported TO be
realized in many cases. over a per-
iod OF a year. AS a result they s.e
saving the system should be abol-
ished and the county attorneys. who
are paid salaries, be shouldered with
that responsibility. 1t is said that in
Cameron county 1t amounts to about
$4,000 in fees.
County attorneys claim they are
blocked in the collection of taxes In
too many ways too mention. evil
IDENTIFY many of them pOliticai. naex-