Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-27
TIMELY COMPARISONS.
Facts for the Intelligent People Of Texas
to Take Under Consideration.
What Texas Has Done to Secure Railroads
What Texas Roads are Doing in CONF
parison With Other Roads.
FsaF wOarH, Fsb. g. s..

ing man which transports his YEARS provisions
ior one Gay s labor, from Chicago to any Eastern
point That cannot be = discrimination against
the consumer, At least, which Transports from
Chicago to New York seventeen barrels of -four
at the rate OF one mile for cent.
Since then have made other compare
sons. few OF these / give below;
Convert barrel of -four into bread.
barrel Of flour viii make 80 loaves OF
bread. Al 10 cents Loaf, the estimated cost OF
converting this barrel Of -four into $50 loaves OF
bread IS So, showing a net profit ofSs. Total
charge by railroad for transporting that barrel OF
-four from st. Louis 20 New York 40 cents
Or the retail dealer received twenty times as
much for his little manipulations does the rail-
road that transports 1t 1000 niles The receiving
and delivering both being an extra expense to the
railroad.
Good beef that costs about cents per pound
retails at Is cents, profit of over % per cent,
Fresh beef IS transported from the Western
market, say Chicago 10 New York or Boston. for
40 cents per 100 pounds or less than a half cent a
pound. Should the consumer complain of tkisg
HANS.
The average rate of freight ON hams is say %
cents per hundred weight; the average weight OF
hams about twelve pounds, or eight hams
on eight ha-as is about 20 cents; on a single
ham, one-eighth of that, or 2ls cents; gross
charge BY railroads, 2is cents on thewhole ham,
against profit OF orr cents on single pound
paid by the consumer. Or the freight from the
Western to the Eastern cities is about one-six-
tieth Of the cost of the ham.
The average cost of tea to the consumer is so
cents per pound Average profit 80 cents per
rying this tea 1000 miles is IS cents per hundred
weight, the profit on single pound exacted from
the consumer is two-thiris of the gross charge BY
railroad for carrying 100 pounds 1000 miles.
BOOTS AND SHOES.
The profit on single pair Of 81 boots or shoes
is equal to three times the freight charges on a
dozen or even twenty pair for 1000 miles.
CLOTHING.
A good suit of clothes can be bought for $50
NNTaf-t -
carrying this class of goods 10 Chicago, st.
Louis and Western points from New York, say
GOO miles, SO cents per 100 weight.
This suit weighs five pounds, twenty suits
weigh 100 pounds, transportation 1000 miles 80
cents. 2ls cents each; average profit per suit TO
the dealer S. Profit to dealers $40 times the
And yet nobody complains Of these profits.
No regulation is discussed, no Interstate
commerce bill'' is passed to prevent these dis
ordinations. these monopolies. The regulation
of these is left to the laws of trade, to COMPETE
ton, and in which the shorter the ''haal'
the larger and the longer this profit exacted
OF the consumer, the working man.
In the same address (1sS5) 1 have the
following.
In this same legislative discussion another
fallacy-a very grave mistake-was made BY
these legislative accountants 1t was contended
that since the New York Central carried passen-
gers for cents mile, the Tcxas roads could
certainly do it for shat the reduction OF the
rate would more than double the amount OF
Another comparison: ghe New York Central
has not quite 1900 miles of main track $3.50. In
1888 this road carried 10, 46 95 passengers Since
proportion Is comparison II 1000 miles carry
II 276. $50, how many should COCO miles carry?''
Answer, 81, SCI $50: or, according to our last
census, more than forty-two times the entire
population Of Texas-that is every man, woman
and child-would have to make forty-tvo trips
each to put the ROADS of Texas upon the same
basis as the New York Central.
The facts show that the results of legislative
have maintained maximum rates,
while without these restrictions the tendency to
lower rates has been the uniform rule.
That comparison was made f1ss3)
upon the traffic of the
New York Central railroad.
Let us see to-day what the comparison
would be upon the New, York Central and
Hudson River railway system, embracing
l Az II mileage as compared with our
Texas and Pacific with 1887 miles of main
line. The gross earnings of the New York
Central and Hudson River railway for
1887 were $35 ,297 ,055 81 The
Texas and Pacific with forty miles more
roadbed was, a year later, 1883 Fiscal
year as returned to comptroHer) S.
023 1877 OF, or less than one-seyenth OF
the former. 1 might make even
a better showing, greater
contrast, were 1 to take into
the comparative operating
expenses, the maintenance Of way and
cars, etc. One more of these COMPARE
sons: The Pennsylvania railway system
controls a mileage of 5729 a. The gross
earnings for 1887 were $Il5, 515 500 10;
net earnings, $3S ,277 ,423 sc; number OF
passengers carried, go, 466 ,238 Texas
has 1884 miles of railroad Gas per comp
troller s report) This upon the basis of
the earnings of the Pennsylvania system
should amount to Sl47 ,429 ,119 Sc.
The real gross earnings however are but
s3l PA $50 OF, or less than the net earn
ngs of the Pennsylvania by 81 ,032,
t73 SO and yet Texas had ending the fiscal
year august 81 1889 65S miles more than
he Pennsylvania system. To have
placed Texas roads upon the same basis
IS the Pennsylvania system they should
rave carried u 1923 1852 passengers and
freight in proportion.
Texas has not the population, and
renee she has not the productions, to
furnish traffic for the miles OF road Al
'eady built so as a profit may be made.
And yet Texas, we are told, still lacks
sportation-railroad facilities This
5 true, but who is to build these roads?
VIII the newlyarriyed settler do il? Can
lie do it? Win land grants do it?
These have been abrogated. If the
present roads are even kept up
viii have to be done by the same for
ign capital that built them May not
hese gentlemen become tired of trying
0 save what they have expended if our
aw makers continue to threaten the per-
'etuity of their franchises-to destroy
heir property? But it is argued
hat Texas has granted extraordinary
privileges to these corporations In re-
ard to what the state and cities too,
ave done for the railroads:
Fort Worth has given nearly half a
liIlion Of dollars as a subsidy to the
Dads centering here. But was this lib
rality to benefit the roads or the city OF
'ort Worth? The state has given mil
ons Of acres of land, but for the benefit
+ the state or the roads?
The right of eminent domain, - as il
termed, is for the benefit Of the state
rst and the roads secondariiy.
/ have simply grouped together these
acts and ask the thinking, controlling
eople Of the state to look into the situa-
on before embarrassing the railroads TO
still greater extent.
l do not believe a commission is wanted
is desired by the great heart Of the
ne people. I'm sure it is not needed.
cry truly, ALEX. HoGG.