The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-03-24
pramr or THE EXPRESS co.'s.
An Interview with Governor John q.
Brown, vice.Prasidcnt or the
Texas g. Paslnc W0iIr0ad.

The Injunction suit of tho Texas express
company against the International 20 Great
Northern and Texas 81 Pacific railroads,
coming up in the United States district
court, HERALD reporter called upon Gov
ernor Jonn q. Brown, vice-president OF
tho Texas & Pacific road in pursuit of infor-
nation as 10 tho suit and its merits.
In answer to the interrogatory, as to the
nature Of the suit Governor Brown re-
sponded' that it was in reality contest be-
tween the Texas express company and tho
Pacific express company. The Texas ex-
press company had brought suit against the
international and Texas g. Pacific railroad
companies, praying the court to restrain
them from permitting the Pacific express
company to run cars on its passenger trains,
and alleges in its petition that it is afraid it
will be put off of these Lies, and wants the
court to, Issue an order 10
these roads tender to the Texas and the Pa
ofc express companies equal privileges ON
their lines. Then, says Governor Brown,
the Texas express company replies that 1t is
not able to pay as much as the Pacific
EXPRESS company, and it pleads with the
court to fix the price. 1t proposes that the
railroad companies shall transport for it on
its passenger trains freight at the same rate
that il takes freight on its freight cars, or in
other words that il must be allowed to have
car with room enough in it for fully as
much as ten thousand pounds
az freight, and that for Its
freiehtt must only pay regular tregnt rates
per pound, say fifty cents hundred ior one
hundred miles hauled. 1t can take $l0O,O00
in currency from one point to another, for
which it will charge say S3O0, not less than
that. and on this money it desires the court
to decide that ii shall pay freight only by
the pound and 100000 in paper will nos
weigh, perhaps, exceeding one pound, SO
that the railroad company must furnish the
transportation, the car, an engine TO pun ",
train men, lights, etc, Tor about
thirty cents, while Inc express co"-
psny gets about $500, and IS at no
expense except that of its messenger Inc
express company takes no package no ma
tor how small, for less thay say, quarter OF
a dollar. 1t may take forty OF such PACK
ages, all small and light, and putting them
in box, the whole of them not weighing
over ten pounds, 1t pays D cents Tor one nun
brad miles hauling OF this boz. YET IL re.
ceives $40 for transporting it. This, says the
Governor. is what the Texas express company
!, askinp for. It prays the court to order
tbssa railroads to make this sort Of
contract with it. The railroads in
renly asy tina. it is unjust TO the farmer, to
the merchant, who ship their products ard
merchandise on their freight trains, for the
roads to transport freight on their passenger
trains al the same rates. Freight, they say,
carried on passenger trsins, not only reaches
its destination much more speedily than IL
can by freight traips, but then II requires
more care, attention and watchfulness, ana
therefore is more troublesome TO the compa"
nv and ought therefore to DO paid for at
higher rate. The companies say they want
com petition between the express COM
n.nies because with competition the
people I Twill get better rates, ana
commercs will be to that extent benefited:
To that.end, these two roads, the Isxas ana
Pacific and the international, have made
contract with the Pacific express company
and they have offered the same terms TO the
Texas express company. They say # this is
not fair and equitable, then why not! Meth
or company eau under this proposition have
the advantage of the other, neither can De-
come monopoly. And 80 of the railroads,
if the Pacific express company makes con-
tract with us to pay half rates for its mes
sengers and so much month, or quarter, or
per ssnum for so much car room, why
should the conrt step In and interfere IN
behalf of another express company? Why
should the court take the position of guar.
dian and put the railroad into the position OF
words and say, you must take the messen-
gers of the Texas express company over
your line, and you must transport their
freight on your passenger train, furnisninglt
with car at regular freight rates. NO
matter whether they have full car load OF
only ten pounds Of freight, still you must
tra1sport car for it's use, and messenger
in that car on every one Of your passenger
trains. Thai equity this simply ordinary
instice. for YOU are but COM
mon carriers and this express
ooaoaay L simply shipper" Why
should the court do this, these railroads say,
and thus aid in the establishment OF mon
opoly? This, said Governor Brown, was the
whole matter in nutshell, and while he, OF
course, could only conjecture as TO what the
igdOmsnt of the court would be, yet he felt
certain that II would dissolve the injunction
and leave the roads TO make their own con-
tracts aud attend to their business as best
suited them.
The Texas Trunk.
-