Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 13, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 29, 1926 Page: 2 of 12
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Mercedes Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.
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PAGE TWO
MERCEDES TRIBUNE
THURSDAY, JULY 29, 1926
Few Agricultural Districts
Can Offer Possibilities Of
Valley, Says ICC Decision
'Washington—The Rio Grande Val-
ley won its long drawn out fight be-
fore the interstate commerce com-
mission for an additional line of rail-
road to carry its products to the mar-
kets of the country.
Authority was granted the South-
ern Pacific to extend its line from
Faufurrias in a general southerly di-
rection through Brooks and Hidalgo
Counties to the border, at or near
Edinburg, and to Harlingen, Cam-
eron County.
The action was taken by the com-
mission over the dissenting votes of
Commissioners Woodlock, Meyers and
Hall. Commissioner Woodlock wrote
a proposed report denying' author-
ity for the extension, which was
/overruled by the action of the full
-commission.
Immediate Action
Construction of the line from Fal-
£urrias to the border was ordered
commenced not later than September
1st and completed not later than
-June 30, 1928, the branch line to be
built by June 30, 1930, and actual
work on it begun 18 months before
that time.
The decision of the commission
•eliminated one of the bitterest fought
battles in railroad history.
The chief argument advanced by
the Missouri Pacific against the ex-
tension were that there was not
enough traffic for two roads, that
it was in large measure responsible
for the development of the Valley
tance the proposed extension will be
through undeveloped terirtory 2 0 to
30 miles distant from any other line
of railroad. While this territory is
apparently dot capable of great de-
velopment, it will be able to produce
a substantial amount of trafifc, and
it is possible that it may produce
more than is generally anticipated.
The conflicting evidence on this point
makes confident predictions difficult.
“The proposed extension will make
possible a traffic connection between
the Southern Pacific system and the
Mexican Railways which can in the
future be realized, if need be, at
relatively small expense. While
there is no assurance of such a con-
nection and construction of the new
line for this purpose alone would
clearly be unwarranted, the possibil-
ity thus afforded for traffic inter-
change is entitled to consideration.
“It must be borne in mind that
Missouri Pacific now practically con-
trols the only existing gateways into
Mexico between Eagle -Pass and the
seaboard.
“While at present the valley seems
on the whole to be very well covered
by the Missouri Pacific systm, the
agricultural possibilities of the val-
ley are very great indeed. There
are very few districts in the country
which can compare with it in this
respect. While the present develop-
ment is extensive, no more than a
■beginning has been made.
Importance To Shippers
“The traffic which the valley pro-
Congratulations!
The following telegram was
received last week by Mayor
J. E. Haynes from W. M. Rat-
cliffe, president of the Union
Security Company of San An-
tonio:
“Congratulations! The as-
surance of the Southern Paci-
fic Extension is an accomplish-
ment brought about by the un-
selfish cooperation of a united
people. It is wonderful to
view from a distance the at-
mosphere and spirit of the Val-
ley. May the added prosperity
of your country be greater
than can be anticipated.”
and should be allowed to reap the j duces requires the best freight and
.resulting benefit.
Estimate of Traffic
The S. P.’s estimate of freight
‘traffic for the first year from and to
points on the Falfurrias line is 5908
cars outbound and 1710 cars in-
bound. The expected system reve-
nue is $807,315.
refrigeration service that can be fur-
nished. It is of the utmost import-
trict, it is most unlikely that the new
line will seriously impair the earn-
ing capacity of that portion of the
Missouri Pacific System which was
formerly operated by the Gulf Coast
Lines. a
“The Southern Pacific System has.
not only ample financial resources
for the construction in the future,
but it is admirably equiped, both in
facilities and by experience, for the
handling of perishable traffic in
fruits and vegetables.
“The sentiment in the valley and
in Texas is overwhelmingly in favor
of the proposed construction. While
this fact should be discounted, inas-
much as public sentiment almost in-
variably favors new railroad con-
struction, even when clearly unwar-
ranted, it is nevertheless entitled to
weight. In some substantial meas-
ures it is based on experience of
benefits to be derived from the com-
petition of rival railroad systems of
demonstrated strength and efficiency.
“The growth and development of
the valley depends upon the ability
of its producers to market their
products. The construction proposed
The Valley Bountiful
“Further than this, that part of
the Rio Grande Valley, for which
additional rail transportation facili-
ties are desired, consists of at least
450.000 acres of land subject to ir-
rigation through the artificial over-
flow of the waters of the Rio Grande.
The record shows that this land has
the highest degree of fertility, with
a potential productive capacity
equivalent to a carload of traffic an-
nually per acre, equal, as a traffic-
producing terirtory to about 10,00,-
000 acres of ordinary agricultural
land devoted to raising cotton, wheat,
corn, or other standard agricultural
products. The record shows that
nearly 3,000,000 citrus fruit trees
were planted in this valley prior to
July 1, 1925, from which it was es-
timated that in five years at least
16.000 carloads of fruit would be
produced. This estimate did not, of
course, include the product of trees
which would be planted after July
1, 1925, and which would periodical-
ly come into bearing. Other prod-
uts of this valley are cabbage, pota-
toes and other early vegetables of
a similar perishable nature. From
one county alone it was shown that
nearly 2 per cent of the entire na-
tion’s production of garden truck,
which covers important articles of
Jfood of general consumption, are now
grown in this area, and this produc-
tion is subject to an expansion only
limited by the markets it may be able
to reach.
Widening of Markets
“The greatest benefit that can
come to any farmer is to have his
H. T. STOTLER
ance to the growers that they should afford snippers an additional
be able to reach all the important subP1l refrigerator equipment,
markets with maximum expedition, *Uve them the benefits of com-
witli minimum danger of serious in- Petitiye services, and will enable
terruption of traffic, and with a ser-
vice sufficiently flexible so that they |
The estimated total gross revenue ; can readily protect themselves
from all traffic to accrue to the J against, , or take advantage of shifts
•Southern Pacific system during the: in marketing conditions. Competi-1large terirtory south of Falfurrias
first year of operation is $1,278,052, j tion in fruits and vegetables is so,now rem°te from rail transportation.
them to utilize the wide distribution
facilities of the Southern Pacific
system with a one-line haul. It will
also aid in the development of a
increasing to $2,001,020 the fifth
year. These figures include passen-
. ger and small revenue for the Falfur-
rias line only.
Operating expenses of the Falfur-
rias Line are estimated at $350,19 6
the first year and $39 6,668 the fifth
year.
System revenues from the Edin-
burg-Harlingen branch are estimat-
keen and markets are so easily over-. The construction of the new line
stocked that the latter consideration *s suPPQ1ted by our decisions in ana-
logous situations, some of them close-
ly analogous.
“The evidence seems to show that
the construction of a line from Fal-
ls of particularly importance.
“The valley is now dependent
upon a single track line of railroad
constructed along the gulf coast,
and subject, as past experience has ^uri-ias> Texas, to the outskirts of the
clearly shown, to the danger of in-
terruption of service by storms and
floods. The proposed new line of
ed at $990,000 the first year, increas- ,railroad would afford important and
ing to $1,700,000 the fifth year, and
remaining constant thereafter.
Operating expenses of that branch
are estimater at $175,097 the first
year and $198,333 the fifth year.
No General Rule
v '“It is undesirable if not impossi-
valuable insurance against such pos-
sible interruptions which does not
now exist.
“The Gulf Coast System, which op-
erated this line of railroad prior to
its absorption into the Missouri Pa-
cific System, had become a highly
markets so widened that his products
can be readily and advantageously
disposed of, and for these produc-
tions of, a highly perishable charac-
ter no facilities for transportation,
between the farni and the ultimate
consumer, can be considered entirely
adequate which do not represent 100
per cent of efficiency, both with re-
spect to methods of transportation
and the widest possible range of ter-
ritory which can be directly, eco-
nomically and speedily reached. It
is my belief that this 100 per cent
efficiency in transportation so neces-
sary to the proper handling of this
class to the proper handling of this
class of traffic can not be created |
without the element of
being involved. The granting of
the right to the Southern Pacific to
build into the Rio Grande Valley will
furnish to that remarkably produc-
tive territory the adidtibnal and es-
sential necessary facilities of trans-
portation which this territory needs,
and will create a tremendous widen-
ing of the area of consuming mar-
kets reached both by the direct rails
of this great corporation and by its
immediate connections.”
A Good Plan
Father to suitor:—“My daughter
doesn’t want to be tied to an idiot all
her life.”
“Just so—why not let me take her
competition off your hands?”
J. SCHMITTER
€;•
Blacksmithing and Machine Shop
CUTTING AND WELDING
Next to the Light Plant
|
!
i
i
MERCEDES,
TEXAS
iiinmmiiiiniiiinniiniiiiMiiiiniiiiwiiiiniiiiMiiimiiimiiiiHiiiiiHiiiMWiniHiimiiiiniiiiiHiiiiwi^Kiii&iiiHiiiiiwiimiiiwn)
Funeral Director
and Embalmer
PHONE N O. 67
MERCEDES.
jjjf
(I
TEXAS i |
i U
t Attention, Vegetable Growers
We are not knockers but believe in living and let
live. We also know as well as you do that cheap
seed is usually an expensive proposition. In fact,
you generally get what you pay for.
If you are in the trucking business to really make
money, you will of course insist on using reliable
seeds of good germination and producing results
true to type.
Our many satisfied customers throughout the Valley
|will testify that the seed furnished by
J. F. EWERS
INCOME TAX
CONSULTANT
MISSION
TEXAS
L. P. GUNSON & CO.
Rochester, N.Y. Fills these requirements J
| Get Wise, See Wise and let Wise order
your Seed for you
I Wm. C WISE |
I Box 549 Local Representative MERCEDES, TEXAS |
?ble,” the majority decision said, “to j profitable railroad system, as wit-
Jay down any general rule by which j ness the price paid for the stock. It
Rio Grande Valley will result in at
least some development of this ter-
ritory, and while the traffic thus cre-
ated may not be sufficient to justify
building a railroad line for its trans-
portation needs, such a road will cer-
tainly do much toward its develop-
|ment. My conclusions, however, find
sufficient justification resting alone
upon the traffic necessities of that
part of the Rio Grande Valley con-
cerned.
jD
at can be determined whether or not
« certificates of public convenience
• and necessity should be issued for
the construction of proposed new
lines of railroad. Every case must
be decided in the light of its own
special circumstances. As we see it,
the salient features of this case are
-as follows:
“The entire territoi^ east of Eagle
Pass and south of the Southern Pa-
cific, which is approximately as large
as the State of Louisiana, is served
almost exclusively by the Missouri
Pacific, and it practically controls
all of the crossings into Mexico east
-of Eagle Pass, being the only large
•system reaching those crossings.
“Not New Project”
“The construction is proposed by
■an existing railroad system, one of
the largest in the country, with a
most excellent record of efficiency
and prosperous operation and with
financial resources that without
question are much more than ample
for the construction of the new line
and for its maintenance for furnish-
ing of. good service after it has been
■constructed.
“The project is not a new one, but
merely the resurrection and comple-
tion of a project inaugurated some
20 years ago, partially carried out,
but never finished. It involves mere-
ly the entention, of a line of railroad
which now ends at Falfurrias, a lit-
tle settlement which obviously was j sj?
never intended as the terminus of
even a branch line of railroad.
“The proposed construction will
make it possible to operate with
much greater advantage to all con-
cerned this existing line of railroad.
“The proposed construction is
simple, easy and relatively inexpen-
sive the addition to the railroad in-
vestment in the Western group, or
in the Southwestern portion thereof
or even in the statq of Texas, will be
comparatively insignificant.
New Possibilities
had attained this degree of pros-
perity prior to even the present de-
velopment which is in progress in
the valley, to say nothing of that
which is possible, and in view of the
advantages which the Missouri Pa-
cific will possess in the valley, even
if the new line is constructed, by
reason of the extensive ramifications
of its lines within the irirgated dis-
MERCEDES HOTEL
All Modern Conveniences
Dairy Cows Bring in Money Every Week
HT bank for you and yours
St
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European Plan. Rates 91*00 per
day and up
MERCEDES, TEXAS
Sure It’s Patton’s
Because you cannot get the kind of paints
you want from others carrying a small stock, is
no reason for buying something with which you
are not pleased.
BUY FROM US, and leave with that sat'
isfied feeling, for you are sure to get here just
what you want, and the proper kind of paint
for the use for which it is intended.
BlllllBIllllBlIiiiBMBIIIIIBMlf
We have added to our stock
TEXTONE
The Sheet Rock Decorator
Mercedes Woodwork Go.
“If it’s Paipt-We Have It"
■For the greater part ot the
THE MOST VALUABLE
KEY ON YOUR RING!
— the key to a Safe Deposit
Box in our vault.
For this steel and concrete
vault shuts out dangers which
no lock at home can possibly
exclude from your valuables.
—This \ey is yours for a few
cents a moyith!
THE HIDALGO COUNTY
STATE BANK
MERCEDES, TEXAS.
OLDEST STATE BANK IN THE VALLEY
Dairy Cows Bring in Money Every Week
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Buell, Ralph L. Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 13, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 29, 1926, newspaper, July 29, 1926; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1002657/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.