Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-16
TEXAS LEGISLATION.

STATE senator Il. y. / rank passed. through
the city yesterday en- route to his home in
Stephenville, after following the meander
ings OF the Twcnty-secOnd legislature
through its legislative intricacies. He was
seen by What-Not at one of the hotels, and
in pleasant, courteous manner converSed
upon the work of the legislature. In re-
gard to the commission bill he stated that
ne had been in favor OF 4 commission since
1852 and that the bill met his hearty apprO-
bation The bill" he continued. that
was introduced by Mr.. Terrell was anne ,ded
in q manner that l think has streus ,Aened
it considerably. Mr.. Gresham's amend
ment giving the commission the power TO
allow group rates and to suspend the long
and short haul clause, was doubtless wise
precaution. as this clause would Operate 70
the great disadvantage of both the railroads
and The shippers, and the determinations
arising from its operation are clearly illus
trated by citing an instance of two saw
nills-one located in Louisiana, Just across
the Texas line, and the other located in
Texas. OF course the Texas commission
will have no authority in regard TO inter
state traffic, and under this long and short
haul clause the Louisiana mill could ship TO
Texas points at a less cost than a Texas
mill as the latter would be charged more
for long haul than short haul.
Previous to this session of
the legislature had imagined
that equity existed in the number of miles
travelled; but it was demonstrated to me
that the same trafnmen and the same train,
with n slight addition of fuel, could pull a
train from Fort Worth to Ell Paso as cheaply
as they could to Colorado City. Thus,
when twenty cars of produce is shipped to
Ell PaSo and one car to Colorado, it is obvi-
ously unjust to force the railroads to charge
more per hundred to FL Paso than to Colo
RADIO The traffic to FL Paso being so much
greater than to Colorado, the road is placed
in the same attitude as merchant who
sells large bill of goods to one man and
small hill to another man. and in large
transactions the buyer, or shipper, is en-
titled to reduced prices. In regard TO the
writ of mandamus. which is Incorporated in
the bill. l would say that it operates on
both sides. While the railroad can appeal
to the courts to enjoin the enforcement of Il
rate. the shipper has the same right. For
instance, suppose the commission fixed
rate of 81 % per hundred pounds on lumber
from the pineries to Fort Worth, the lurn-
Der dealers of Fort Worth, perceiving that
they could not handle lumber under such q
rate, would enjoy the privilege of enioining
the enforcement Of the rate and the case
would take preference over every case
on the docket In fact, l do not
in any serious delay in the enforcement of
the law, and will only act as lever of pro-
lection to all parties concerned. OF course.
the state could not, in equity, deny the
right of injunction to the railroads, and I
firmly believe that the original clause of the
bill, which provided that the rate fixed by
the commission should be prima facia evil
dence of its reasonableness, would have
proved nonentity in the higher courts. y
As Senator Frank was the father of the
bill providing for the acceptance of the ,
cents per pound sugar bounty appropriated
DIV the Mckinley bill, and was also the gen
tleInan who introduced bill appropriating
81, 900, 600 of the permanent school fund for
the purchase of state sugar farm, to be
operated by convict labor, What-Not asked
him what he thought of Governor Hogs
veto of the bill accepting the bounty.
He said: i am against the bounty sys-
TEN, and am earnestly opposed TO the pro-
tective tariff; but the Mckinley bill is a law
it is draining taxes from the people of
Texas to pay this sugar bounty-and think
it is foolish for Us to refuse to take what is
given US when it will go to some one else
While Texas refuses to accept this $4,000
continue 10 pay their taxes, and
this money goes into the pockets OF
the manufacturers. 1t appears much more
sensible to accept this $50 900 and relieve
our citizens of that expense in supporting
the conyicts. The sugar farm of Texas is
the only branch of the penitentiary ma
chinery that is paying expenses, and it is
yielding a neat profit. 1t costs the state
$500, $50 per annum to convict these crimi-
mails it also costs vast sum to support them,
and l think that it is political economy to
make them self-sustaining during their in
In introducing my bill, pro-
viding for the purchase Of sugar farm,
had in view the purchase of plantation of
IL, 600 acres, 5000 acres Of which are now