The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-01-24
,r,,r, srArI fyoINrrE,s RnpoEr.

Int gross .uluslCc OF hhsiy OF plSth"N "a q
cri..cism is slriEiugly shown by tho publ
cation of the report OF the state engineer.
An abstract Q. the report appeared in yes
t.rdsyis HERALD in the Austin special. end
this morning the report appears in full In
another ,!umu, For some months past
many papers have INDUCED in filings ut
CoLoYIL BFlTToN, the stste engineer, and
h we charged that il Was impossible Tor him
to see ANYTHING wrong In the management.
equipment and condition OF railways in
this stat @, end that his report would an
doubtediy be found 10 be but whi'ewash-
ing of a lot OF very poorly managed roads
These hsgtv cr.ucifms we're based upon the
fac, that when approached by reporters for
the prsFs COLONEL BRITT)g invariably reius.
ed or failed 10 indulge in TRADE OF abuse
of the various roads Up 10 that time IN
inspected by him. The HERALD took &C.
cas;on to venture the assertion some Tune
siuce that. when COLONEL BRrrroN spoke
officially these hG,ty critics would have
cause to regret their premature reflections.
The report Just published juhlities oar
former estimate OF the man and his per-
sonal and official honesty and efficiency.
The chief matters of complaint by the
public against the railways have been
the miserably little depo!s through
out the state everywhere, the very
Costly and inexcusablo freight block
AIDES in many of the lines andr the very gen.
eral and ipconvonient. iIreaulsrity OF pas
senger trains. Upon these matters, as
against many lines, the complaint has been
loud and continued, while as TO other roads
but little fault has. been found in the direc'
ton mentioned. These, with insecure
bridges end detached. portions OF bad trac
here and there on oil the oads. have been
about the only and certainly the chief
ubiects Of complaint by the public.
BY reference TO the'report of the state en-.
gineer it will be found that in all thes- mat
ters he has taken up the popular cry
and unhesitatingiy suggests better
depots, more motive power for the
easy handling of the business
of the road where freight blookades have
occurred, greater attention 10 the running
and regularity OF passenger trains and the
replacing of trestle and wooden bridges by
those of stone and iron. The Missouri Pc.
cific, the. international, the Texas d. Pacific
and other prominent lines against which
complaints. have been made in the direc
ton above indicated have been fearlessly
handled by the engineer. or course the
roads have not s.been literally torn up by
CoLcEEL Barton. No such fierce report
was demanded by the facts or the people,
but the peoples complaints have been
heard and emphasized and endorsed by
this state inspector in plain and direct
terms.
The report contains much sefulinforma-
ton aside from the engineer 'srecommends-
ton, and will be read with interest by
those who watch the developments Of rail-
vav business in Texas. But aside from
this fact it is another. striking illustration
of the injustice. and impolicy Of rushing
into prirt with imaginary charges and Sc
we're criticisms before substantial basis
for utteraDces has been furnished.
The report is not as full
or sweeping as it might have
been made, but the more important portion
relative 10 the schedules and suggestions as
to freight traffic and rates he }been re-
served for he regular sessioh next year.
Until man has compJetc>- rs official work
and it can be viewed IS whole, it is but
childish and ssor policy to rush at him
with cris,csms and attacks based upon the
fears and suggestions of the critics.