Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-07-27
IN OUR
VALLEY

LOOKS LIKE A knock down and
drag-out fight between Valley ship
pers and growers and our good
friends the railroads.
On top Of the petition OF the rail-
roads OF the country for a blanket
hike OF Is per cent on all freight
rates. comes the news that the
Southwestern carriers are asking
for an upward revision OF rates APP
piled TO vegetable shipments out Of
the Valley.
Here's the situation.
Railroads owe the country, faced
with competition from tricks. are
finding their revenues steadily de-
clining.
That's their story.
Valley growers, with the sections
OF the country to which they sell In
the throes of a business depression,
find the prices they get for the prod
ucts OF their labor steadily declin-
ing.
The railroads claim they cannot
operate on their present revenues.
The growers claim they cannot
plant and harvest at a profit on the
prices they have been receiving dur
ing the past 2 years.
AS q matter OF fact. II Valley
growers received nothing at all for
the vegetables shipped from this
section, the ultimate consumer
would hardly know the difference.
Overhead. icing charges, freight
charges. storage and the like con-
stitute by far the big end Of the
price the consumer pays.
Increase that overhead. cut down
the price paid the grower. and it's
going to be hard luck for those on
both ends Of the line.
INJUSTICE OF ANY freight rate
increase applied to Valley products
Is right here.
II Is generally conceded. we be-
heve, that business originating In
the Valley pays the roads taking
that business a good profit.
Certainly 1t stands to reason that
rs 900 cars OF vegetables originating
In the Valley. going out under pre-
vailing rates. have not been han
died at a loss.
The loss comes further up the
line.
Must we, as a heavy producing
section which supplies the railroads
with profitable loads, pay q still
heavier penalty because business
originating in other sections is not
sufficient TO pay profits?
NO THINKING MAN wants the
railroads or any other business to
operate at a loss.
Any business which Is not making
money Is a positive detriment 10
the community in which It is locat-
ed, be that business a railroad, a
newspaper, a drygoods store or
whatnot.
On the other hand, no man or
set or men want to be forced to
make UP the losses incurred by any
business through operations with
other parties in other sections.
RELATIONS ENJOYED by the
Valley with its two railroads sys-
TENS have always been most pleas
ant.
No finer bunch OF men and wom-
en- a be found anywhere than
those handling the business Of the
Missouri Pacific and the Southern
Pacific in this section
Courteous. anxious = render SER
vice, boosters for the various CON-
munities In which they are station
ed, these men and women are de-
cided assets to their roads and 10 the
Valley.
1t would now appear that the ar
gument between their roads and the
Valley IS going to be long end pro-
n0unced.
There Is a decided difference ol
opinion which must be fought out
through the proper channels.
This difference OF opinion. how
ever. Is going to be kept in those
channels. and you and ! and The
rest OF us re going TO regard ths
railroads as the friends OF the Val
lev, friendly enemies II you will
but still friends.
In the last analysis. the roads vii
prosper as the Valley prospers.
And they know II.
ADD ENCOURAGING signs Of tn,
times.
same tourist regulations soon Il
be IA force at Brownsville and Mat
o as now obtained at Lared'
and Nuevo Laredo.
Especially interesting T. thos'
who want to cross their automobile