Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1879-10-17
RAILROAD FREI6ETS.

HAlLR0AD FhEI6ETS.
The mileage rates from inte-
riCr Texas towns TO Galveston
, would amount to I rate exceed
ing $50 on 4 bale of cotton to
New York. The rate from Dali
las to Galveston is ST 50, while
Galveston ships cotton by rail
to New York for $3.50 a bale,
The freight on a bale of cotton
from Brennan to Galveston, dis
lance IcI miles, is S2.55, or
more than cents per mile per
! bale. 1.-THE same rate of freight
per mile was eXacted to New
York it would amount to a great
| deal more than the cotton is
worth after it gets there. From
other points in the state the
rate Of freight is proportionately
high. Producers Of cotton in
Texas arc losers by the exhor-
bitant rates of freight exacted
by Texas railroads. The prices
of cotton paid by spinners'
agents in interior towns in the
state are based on the prices OF
spot cotton in New York, so it
Can be seen that the producer
is charged for delivering his cot
ton IN that city or at the mills.
Cotton in BRENNAN is worth a
cent less than in Galveston, as
it takes fully that much to place
the cotton there and sell it
Texas railroads giving through
bills of lading for cotton to the
eastern cities, pro-rate with the
connecting roads, and if they
charged them at the same rates
they charge home shippers the
connecting roads would get but
little for their share. The rail-
roads in this state seem to make
their determinations against
home freights and home ship
pers, possibly for the reason that
they cannot discriminate against
shippers out Of the state where
there is competing lines. The
merchant and the railroad lose
nothing by this, except perhaps
that they do not do as much
business as they would were
freights cheaper; the producers
and consumers eventually have
the bill to foot.
The subject of railroad freight
determinations was before the
sixteenth legislature, but they
did nothing for the relief of the
people. The railroad alca had
powerful lobby present and as
a matter of course were able to
control legislation. or at least
prevent any Oh the subject,
which amounted to precisely the
same thirg-t!ie railroads we're
let severely alone and fell back
on their charter rights, viz: so
cents per 100 pounds per 100
miles and five cents per mile for
passengers.
High freight and passenger
tariffs retard the progress ofthe
state and to great extent pre-
vent the country from settling
up. We think we have shown
that the producers are the ones
most directly interested in a re-
duction in freight tariffs, as the
freights come directly out of
their pockets. There is not a
cotton buyer in the state who is
not paying the very highest
price compatible with the rate
of freight he has to pay and pro-
portionately as freight tariffs
are reduced prices will be rails
ed. To make a plain and I'M
mistakeable proposition we
state that to-day the freight on
a bale of cotton to Galveston is
s2.55; if it was only ST the diff
ference, sI.55, would go into the
farmers pocket. On freights
coming in it is the same thing.
Farmers will do we'll to bear
these facts in mind and when the
next general election comes
round will do well to elect men,
bers to the legislature who shall
have a higher object in view
than repeating dog-tax laws and
taxing all occupations and in
dustries in which the people are
most vitality interested.
1t was a lady with a check
shawl. reticule and squint,
who flounced out of the art
rooms on yesterday afternoon
with remark that "It's an out
rage that them there hggers
amt got no clos on" Her hus-
band. a stoop-shouldered man
with low crowned, wide
trimmed soft hat, a rumpled
ncCktie, long coat, short pant"
and a beard under his chin, re-
"Dop't p,,La ,