Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-07
ANOTHER DAY OF IT.
The Commissioners Ears Open
to Complaints.
THEY HEAR NOTHING ELSE.
The Northeast Texas MiiImen the 0niy felom
Vino Didn't Go 10 Austin 10 k.ck.
Judge Reagan Has Heard Only from the
Long Haul People and Would Like
to Know What the Short
Haulers Have to Say.
1t WAKES Warm.

1t WAKES Warm.
SPECIAL 10 the Gazette.
AUSTIN. Ten. Aug. 6.-The discussion or
he rate questions by the traffic men ana
others 10 day, was as active and Interesting
IS yesterday. The song was varied some
what by the arrival of 4 delegation OF
Northeast Texas mill men. who came 10 re-
flute the rate logic of their Southeastern
brethren made yesterday. and 10 suStan
the policy Of the commission in promU--
eating Il mileage rate on their products.
Mr.. Newlin, general freight ageu, of tina
Fort Worth and Denver railway, the frs.
10 tackle the proposed rates. said that Ia
represented the largest single interest IL
the state which was here doing business or
The faith Of the state. He discussed the
proposed tariff No. | or wheat, rye, OaJs
and barley undertaking - show how L.
would affect the road Adversely
the chairman interrupted MIN 20 say
that his construction of the proposed rate
was erroneous, and that the proposed
schedule permitted roads on u division Of
freight to apportiun the charge according 10
the distance hauled by each that i, to say
the proposed rate on 4 haul OF fifty miles -
: cents. If that haul IS over TWO roads
each road receives 3 cents; providing, tho
haul of each Is twenty-five miles. \ haul
of twenty-five miles on q single road IS
cents.
Mr. Ncwliu compared the grain rates
proposed W I'M ll!t'St Nl NftOISld- SuuN 4t4=s
that the latter on haulS above thirty miles
were trliic higher han the rates proposed
here. In explanation why Interstate rates
We're
LOWER THAN local RATES,
Mr. NOwlin SAID that they We're so pur-
IOSely III the interest OF the people OF
Texas. and that if the roads shOdld raise
the rates on interstate traffic 10 meet the
treateued reductions on local rates 1t would
be hard 10 tel what would become of tho
state
This somewhat menacinG remark was
trtie at variance with the positive aSsur-
anCe given by several traffic men at theIr
first meeting with the commission that I
reduction of local rates would he surely
followed by corresponding reduction OF
the Interstate rate.
General Freight Agent Polk of the Aran-
saS Pass read comparative tabulated
statement showing the losses his road
would incur under the proposed rates. The
average reduction i'll cotton would amount
to4l.1 per cent. The rates would decrease
the net revenue OF the road 20 per cent
below the operating expenses. He .teslred
TO enter a protest against any reduction
whatever in the articles included in the
proposed schedules, unless ne could
be shown wherein the commission
other things. As other rates
were already pretty well up he doubted if
the commission could make the increase
elsewhere necessary To effect
THE NEEDED COMPENSATION.
Mr.. Polk sproug difficulty i'll which
points on separate roads may lie COMPETE
tive, though not junction points, and there
fore not entitled 10 the 10 per cent reduc-
ductiOn allowed the long haul a. Junction
points.
Chairman Reagan admitted the force Of
the difficulty and expressed wish to hear
from the traffic men any reasonable solu-
ton they might have. SO far he had heard
only stories Of losses from the system
and not a word of the gains
which somebody on some road
must enjoy. He heard only from the long
haul fellows, and would like to hear from
the short haul gentlemen.
The latter failed to show up.
Mr.. Lacey of Waco explained how the
present system of locating cotton to the
nearest compress was more desirable and
profitable than that proposed. by the com
mission.
The chairman asked if justice would not
result 10 all if cotton localed 10 the COM
press in whatever direction should pay
freight from the initial point of shipment.
The reply was that perhaps II would.
Mr.. Trammel of the Texas Trunk line
read a comparative statement showing the
percentage of reduction resulting TO his
road from the proposed rates.
Mr.. Reed, representing the Houston cot
ton exchange. asked that the commission
take into account in its cotton rate The diff
ferential of 10 cents existing at present be-
tween water AMI rail transportation from
Houston and Galveston.
General Freight Agent Masters of the
Gulf. Colorado and Santa Re placed some
tabular statements before the commission
showing the effect Of the proposed rates on
mis- road. and also showing that the pro-
posed salt rate was
LOWER THAN IN KANSAS
Mr.. Terry Of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa
Fe said that cotton. timber aud cattle would
have to bear the burden of the freight tar
ifs, because they We're about the only ar
ticles of commerce that brought any reye-
nue. into the state. As well place al
the freight on cotton. as half on cotton and
half on the calico brought into the state.
Reduce the tariff on cotton and something
else must shoulder the burden of the reduce
tiOn.
Several lumbermen of Northeast Texas
appeared TO explain how the proposed lum-
Der rate Oh the mileage system
would serve to equalize the conditions
between Northwest and South
East Texas mills. Under the existing
blanket system Beaumont and Orange lun-
Der reaches Sherman and DenisOn at tia
same rate given the mills at or near Tex
arkana. The inequality of such system
was apparent, and could only be corrected
by some such system as that proposed 0y
the commission.
After two days talking and palavering
The commission and the railroad men looked
tagged and anxious 20 be rid of this ra-e
question when O'Clock arrived this after
noon. but the pow-wOw is not yet ended,
Judge Reagan having stated that the cotton
Belt desired to be heard tomorrow. Doubt
less others viii he here 10 make statements
as II is the policy OF the commission 20 give
the fullest hearing 70 every one qualified TO
throw any light on the situation.