From the editor: Below are excerpts from a Brownsville Herald article, submitted by Rene Torres, from 1936, 88 years ago, detailing how the Port of Brownsville operates, but also predicting that it would eventually be self-supporting.
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City's Port Eventually to Be Self-Supporting
Outside of their income from taxes, how do navigation districts get the money on which to operate ports? Specifically, what sources of income does the Brownsville Navigation District, for instance, have on which to operate the Port of Brownsville?
The article identifies two main sources of income:
1. Rental of land belonging to the district in the turning basin near the channel at the rate of 6% of the agreed valuation.
2. Charges assessed to ships that make the Port of Brownsville a port of call, including loading and unloading, mooring, unmooring, shifting charge to move from one berth to another utilizing a mooring crew.
Also, a docking fee based on gross tonnage is charged according to the Lloyd's Register of Shipping and a wharfage charge on all freight at the rate of 3/4 cent to 5 cents per 100 lbs.
A "minor" charge is to pay for the services of a night watchman.
Port of Brownsville circa 1936
Freight handling machinery, the property of the navigation district, is available to steamship companies for their stevedores on a rental basis.
The district also has electric current and water for sale.
Concern was also expressed in the article about getting a treaty with Mexico to safeguard water rights, predicting that, if a treaty was not enacted within ten years the Valley would have no water.
The article closes with this final thought:
"It is hoped that within the next two or three years business at the Port of Brownsville will have increased to such an extent that the operations end will be self-supporting."
Yawn 🥱, this fall under the list of who cares Jim. Do some real reporting dammit!
ReplyDeleteThe Washington Post releases that da blimp is being investigated for contaminating public waters for draining his brain valve in his home’s sink. Expect a hefty fine to go along with that also…. More news as it becomes available.
Now that is news…Maria
el de las prietas
If the port is doing so well, how come it can’t support itself. It’s time to take a serious look at this issue. No candidate wants muddy the water… nobody on the board has the balls to revisit this taxation situation. The local tax payers should no longer carry this burden… Enough is enough!
ReplyDeleteWe’ve never had a real port director with wide world experience/connections. Besteiro was educator and a rat and Campirano was full of BS car salesman . The only experience he had with water was when he took sailing at TSC. In fact he got lost navigating horseshoe lake at fort brown
ReplyDeleteFormer TSC board member David the name dropper Oliveira said he had learned everything he knew from Juliet Garcia, Campirano was another of her puppets
ReplyDelete