The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-05-22

standing about my position in regard
to this question, wish to state plainly
that am not in favor of a commits
sion invested with judicial, legislative
and executive powers. 1 am not in
favor of it, because if commission be
established it will be better to give it
conservative power at first, until we
see its results, and if necessary, its
duties can be increased. 1 oppose a
commission with such extraordinary
powers for the further reason that
do not believe that it would be lust
and right to place these great proper
ties under the arbitrary control Of
men who do not own or have any di-
rect interest in them. / am opposed
to such law for the further reason
that we need more railroads, and am
fully satisfied that the passage of a
law giving such powers to a commits
sion, at this time, will practically stop
railroad construction in the State.
know that distinguished gentlemen
are ready to deny this, and in support
of their position refer us to the State
of Georgia. They seem to forget that
the conditions in Georgia are entirely
different from those in Texas.
Georgia is very old State-being, as
we all know, one of the original
thirteen colonies. She is densely pop
ulated, and is so located that great
part of the traffic of Alabama, Florida
and the Carolinas 60 through her ter
ritory. 1t is very natural therefore
that all of her roads are good paying
property. I take it that no extensive
portion of Texas is as densely popu-
lated as the most sparsely settled dis
trict in Georgia, besides the character
of the country which surrounds the
two States, and which contributes to
their through traffic is entirely diff
erent. But suppose we discard the
question of population, surroundings,
etc., and make a personal application
in regard to railroad building.
AS well as we all love Texas, and as
anxious as we are to see the State de-
veloped, would we put our money in
railroads and yield their control to
the arbitrary will and unrestrained
discretion of commission? The very
suggestion of letting others take
charge OF our property and deprive us
of its management, it is repugnant to
our independence and manhood. II
we, with all of our loyalty to Texas,
wouldanot do so, how can we expect
others who are non-residents and have
no interest in the State to bring their
money here and invest it in enterprises
to be controlled by strangers. If we
would have more railroads the COM
mission with extreme powers is GER
tainly very doubtful and dangerous
experiment at this time. I ventu e
the assertion that there is not COM
munity in the State which would not
give the right of way-a town or city
that would not pay liberal bonus to
secure another railroad. If this be
true would it not be foolish in us to
adopt a policy that may prevent our
getting what we want and need?
All will admit that Texas cannot
be properly developed without more
railroads.
Middle and Western Texas must
have better transportation facilities
for conveying lumber from Eastern
Texas to improve their farms and
build and make comfortable their
homes. To develop the inexhausti-
BILE iron fields of Llano and Eastern
Texas and utilize the coal fields of
North and Northwestern Texas, man.
ufacture our own iron, steel and other
products, we must have railroads
connecting the iron and coal fields
and extending to the deep water
ports on our coasts.
We have some 100000 acres of
fine land belonging TO the school
fund which cannot now be occupied
for the want of lumber and fuel.
but railroads can supply
those essential articles. With one or
two trunk lines and the necessary
branches, the fuel and lumber can
be supplied and before many
years that whole section will be
inhabited by a happy, industrious
and prosperous people and the
school children of the entire State will
be enjoying bountiful income as a re-
suit of their occupation, and that ex-
tensive region, which is now unpro-
1uctive, will be converted into the
finest cereal region on the globe. To
illustrate what benefit railroads have
been to Texas, we may take any
county in the State and we will find |
that its development has depended to
\ great extent upon railroads being
Quilt Through its territory, and its
prosperity and increase in property
values have kept pace with the extent
If their construction.
In 1874 we had 1909 miles of
abroad in Texas, and the taxable
Values OF that year we're $244, $40, 55S,
while in 1885 we had 1856 miles and
he taxable values were $729,175,564.
We thus see that the property values
lave advanced in about the same
alto that railroad mileage has in
,reased. That you may know my re-
atoms to railroads, wish to state
hat have never been, nor am l now,
I, al~ |