The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-07-09

rateS now eXlStlng, nolClng Cnat the
railroads were discriminating against
Galveston's interests in favor of east
erD markets to such an extent that
Galveston could do no busin ess in a
legitimate way furthern than a couple
of hundred miles from home.
He said 1--WE appear here repre-
senting almost unitedly the merchants
of Galveston, whose business, | am
sorry to state, does not extend be-
yond Limits of two hundred miles, ex.
cept it meets such. competition as
prevents her merchants from doing
the business which she is naturally
entitled to. The common point rates
of Texas are narrowed to such an ex-
tent that the traffic within the Dor
ders OF that territory, divided among
numerous houses in Galveston and
Houston, makes the output of each so
limited that unless they adopt artificial
meals to influence business beyond
that limit they must work without a
profit. We do not ask special privi-
leges, but only those you will accord
every jobbing center. Houston being
the basing points for rates leadin out
OF it and Galveston paying a differen
tial higher.
IA shipment of goods originating
anywhere in the United States, except
at New York, can be laid down at 81
Texas common point by an inter
state market at such an advan-
tage over Galveston as to preclude
her from her natural traffic rights.
We appeared before the Chicago con-
vention and they gave us a jobber's
rate, but the result was howl from a
a oly rf xunlxyau until yrn ntroalunS
plead to have the rates restored.
We have now two cents lower rate,
but what is that? New Orleans today
handles the business in this manner,
She purchases her goods at river
rate from the producer and charges a
local to Galveston and Houston. In
other words, the roads beginning at
New Orleans take advantage of that
city's natural advantage of location to
distribute the freight to jobbing cen
tiers in Texas at no more than would
be charged by a water route. New
Orleans distributes freight to Calves
ton on basis of sums OF local freights.
That is the rate from manufacturing
points to New Orleans plus local rates
to q WESTON.
1.-THE rate on starch has been 81 1-2
cents per hundred. New Orleans pays
a railroad rate of 25 cents and often
less, but we will grant her that ad
vantage. She then sends the freight
into Texas at SO cents, making $1.09
that it costs her to deliver in Texas
Galveston pays 5712 cents plus 70
cents, making the rate $l.27 ID What
we ask of the railroads is to place us
CONNIE REALLY on the same footing as
New Orleans. If New Orleans was
forced to pay local rate to get her
goods to Texas she would not be able to
distribute to common points at a rate
that shuts Galveston out of the mar
ket.
Rates from the east are so arrang-
ed that Galveston is on no equality
whatever except on business from
| New York proper. On Boston, Phila'
delphia and Baltimore on shipments
New Orleans pays the same as from
| New York, while the rates to Calves
ton are based on differentials higher.
lit is 2l4 miles from Galveston to
Temple. Kansas City is $50 miles from
Temple and there we have difference
of II cents. The distance is three
times as great while the difference is
only 20 per cent
II also desire to call your attention
to some other points. The rate New
Orleans gets to Sealy and stations be-
yond on the Southern Pacific is ex-
actly the same as from Galveston,
they having an advantage OF 1862 miles,
although we have always been told
there is an organized differential in
favor of Galveston.
"Our territory is so limited we can
not do the volume of business we
should by reason of our location"
After some further discussion
Mr.. Bartholomew, representing the
International and Great Northern,
suggested that the classification now
in use on the Houston and Texas Cen.
trail be adopted temporarily by all the
roads for their Texas business, to be-
come effective at such date as the
commission might designate.
Mr. Masters of the Galveston Colo
RADIO and Santa Fe, commended the
suggestion as offered by Mr.. Bar
tholomew, and suggested that roll
of the roads be called, to see If the
suggestion was satisfactory to the
other lines.
This was done and the representa-.
tives of the following roads voted in
the affirmative:
Houston and Texas Central, Missouri
Kansas and Texas, Gulf, Colorado and
Santa Fee, San Antonio and Arkansas
Pass, International and Great North
ern, Fort Worth and Rio Grande, Cot
ton Belt, Texas Pacific, Southern Pa
cific, East Line and Red River, Hous-
ton, East and West Texas, New York,
Texas and Mexico, Sabine and East
Texas, Great Western, Texas and
Pacific, Galveston, Harrisburg and
San Antonio.
The question next arose as to
whether. when the commission makes
a ruling in response to inquiry from
any one line, and that ruling being
such as to have a bearing on other
lines, ought not the commission to
notify those roads of that ruling, and
after some desultory discussion,
Chairman Reagan stated that the
matter would be taken up by the COM
mission and decision rendered later.
Mr.. Il. NJ Parsons, of the Lone Star
Salt compal- .aof Dallas, addressed the
gathering on the classification of salt
as commodity. He had found that
| fine rate existing from outside points