, 1935-08-28

PLAN is FACED
BY OBSTACLES
Water Districts vi a y
B k; B~ondholders
Threat Of L e g a |
Action Is Heard
BY RALPH L. BUELL.


A possibility was seen Tuesday
THAT the commissioners court OF
Cameron county may be unable 10
proceed with the S825. 900 county,
WA road building program due 10
tie probable unwillingneSs OF Cam
eron County water Improvement
Districts Nos. l and 2 TO convert
themselves IN conservation and
reclamation" districts.
And at the same time bond men
waose clients hold other Cameron
ccrrty bond issues, but who would
not allow themselves TO be quoted
made threats Of injunction and 9TH
err court proceedings TO keep the
county from issuing any more road
bends.
TO issue the s454O01 in unsosd
bends OF the original 100000
Cameron county road bond issue,
IL would be necessary for the Har-
lineen and San Benito Water I'm
p-ovement districts to convert TO
the conservation and reclamation
form Of district. according 70 Coun-
ty Judge oscar g. Dancy and others
who are familiar with the proposed
program. The court has proposed
shI building OF q number Of lateral
e-foOt concrete roads, to be financed
bv sellin, the S454, 900 in county
Il nds TO the PWA, and securing the
remainder OF the necessary money
as a grant from the Works Pro-
gress administration.
Districts Refuse Conversion
Several times In years past the
attempt has been made 70 induce
tnt two districts TO convert, ana
each time the issue has been voted
down by the board OF directors
Unoer Lne conservation and recla-
nation form Oh district, no limit Is
paced OH the bonued Indebtedness
that may be paced against Ianos
iii the district, as IN the case OF
water improvement districts. When
the So, O,OOJ issue was voted, both
districts refused To convert 70 allow
tho entire issue TO be sold.
Franz Robertson, manager OF the
SAG BenitO district, told The
Brownsville Herald oyer the tele-
phcne that under no circumstances
could he conceive Of his district
allowing itself to be converted.
Opposition 70 the entire program
was expressed by Robertson, VINO
stated that we have more bonds
oft now tnan we can pay"
Told over the telephone by The
Brownsville Herald that a Harrington
paper was carrying q notice OF
Intention TO seek the conversion OF
the Harrington district al the next
special session OF the legislature, II
Il. Starnes, manager, stated that
that was the first he had heard OF
the matter"
II don't believe that any Of our
electors have been told a thing
ahout It," Starnes said, las ! have
not heard them discuss It."
Bond Men In Opposition
Starnes said that the Harrington
district had refused 70 convert sew
craI times in the past six years, the
directors being unanimously OPP
posed each time.
Meantime, bond men who would
rot allow themselves TO be quoted,
we're emhpatic in thei ropposition
t. the proposal to issue the remain
ing s454,0U0 county road bonds.
Those bonds will never be issued
as long as the county Is having as
haro time as It Is meeting its
obligations on the bonds that are
already outstanding" n Of them
stated.
The commissioners court has
proposed TO retire the bonds by seek
Ing to pledge the county's portion
o. automobile license fees and fines
for payment OF principal and IN
terest. "A nolice Of intention TO seek
the passage OF q special law at the
next called session Of the legtSia-
ture allowing the county TO 10
pledge this source Of revenue Is
now beng published in The Browns
vile Herald.
Maintenance Funds Menaced
Money thus TO be pledged against
the bonds amounts 70 slightly more
than 100000 per year. according 70
the records OF the county tax col
lector. Such revenues 10 the county
wire Sl07, $500 in 1884, and have
amounted TO Sl06.368.J7 thus far in
1855.
These revenues have furnished the
county commissioners with prac-
tically their only revenue Tor road
and bridge construction. and II
pledged against retirement Of the
b.ods would leave the maintenance
funds of the various commissioners
with very little revenue
Bond men opposing the issuance
of the additional bonds have stated
privately that they will seek an
Injunction to precent the county
f.om carrying out the plan OF the
commissioners court.