Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-01
EMERGENCY RATE IS ASKED
IN OUR
VALLEY

| VALLEY |
"Cabbages and Kings" seem TO
be holding the spotlight OF the
news both Valley and national.
IN the Valley we have with US
that annual problem Of what TO do
with our cabbage crop and when
TO do IL, and in the nation and
In Europe, Premier Mussolini, who
Is a king in fact II not in name.
holds the spotlight by virtue OF
the now well known speeches made
BY General Butler and Senator
Helm.
In late years the Valleys King
Cabbage has been toppled from its
throne. II is a far cry from the
position occupied by u cabbage
crop today to that OF 1914. OF was
IL 1915, when the potential kraut
was bringing from 500 to SIPS per
ton.
Those were the days when the
driver stopped to pick up the head
Of cabbage that fell from the wagon
on its way to the shipping shed.
Those were the days whea San
Benito celebrated its annual cab
hage carnival every March ~.
Those were also the days when
1t was a problem to get freight
cars enough to carry the Valley
cabbage crop to market. when cab
bage was piled along the railroad
right OF way and left to rot for
lack Of transportation facilities.
And then along came the Mis-
souri, Pacific and acquired the
Saint l.. 3. a. M, rs Dave O'Brien
used to call 1t, and with the ac-
Quisiticn. how things did change.
Plenty OF refrigerator cars, i'm
proved freight schedules. and the
Valley cabbage crop. along with
the carrots and beets and dandeli0n
greens and radishes and parsley
and hymisher and eggplant and
broccoli rolled merrily to market.
And then along came the South
ern Pacific, with its nationwide
facilities, and plenty more retrig-
orator cars we're available for the
ever increasing vegetable crop OF
the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
And now, railroads still furnish
the major problem confronting
Valley growers and shippers.
The locally notorious Robstown
differential still obtains. The Val
lev still pays a premium OF $500
per- ton on cabbage and l2c per
crate on carrots and beets on all
shipments originating In this sec
ton.
This 500 per ton. this nc per
crate, means Just the difference
between selling cabbage and car
rots at a profit and selling az q
loss, when the pric> i down.
When cabbage is $40 per ton.
nobody gives a tinker's dam about
that little old $500 per ton. When
cabbage Is s5.00 per ton. everybody
worries about that $500 per ton.
and II Is not such a little $500
either.
Sporadically Valley Interests
launch attacks on the differential,
certain elements OF III population
get excited, endeavor to start some
thing, and then the attack burns
itself out.
Certain Valley commercial organ
lzatlons have just recently been
instrumental in the preparation q
a brief attacking the differential.
which said brief Is due to be con-
sidered by the Interstate Commerce
Commission some OF these days.
Right now Frank Hall Of the
California Vegetable Union has ad-
dressed a request to the roads ask
inR that the differential be re-
moved as an emergency measure.
The Lower Rio Grande Valley
Shippers Association Is proceeding
along the same lines and will, no
doubt. file a formal request with
the 7. C.. C.. in the near future.
asking The removal OF this extra
tariff.
Some OF these days Valley IN
terests and the executive heads OF
the Missouri Pacific and OF the
Southern Pacific are going 10 put
their feet under the table, get their
heads together, and when they
emerge from the huddle. the rail-
road executives r going TO indi-
cate. no matter how much II hurts.
their willingness 70 accede 10 the
removal OF the differential.
Our railroads have been and
still are among the greatest single
factors responsible for the develop
ment OF the Valley. That they vii
continue to lend their efforts 70
the upbuilding OF the Valley Is
assured. It's Just a matter Of getting
together. and may that day be
speeded.