Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-20
COMMISSION WORK.
A Business Move When the
Commodity Tariff Was
Made.
QUESTIONS THEY MUST DECIDE
The Commission Was Patient When Many
Things Tended to Block Them-Elec-
ton Returns are MeRger, and
Conclusion is Hazardous.
Special to the Gazette.

commission got down to business when il
promulgated commodity tariff No. l, or
grain, -four, meal, etc, hay and salt. 1t was
not hasty in taking this decisive step, and
did it only after the fullest consideration OF
all the questions involved. The traffic men
were given all the time and every opportu-
nifty desired to explain the railroad sltua-
ton from their standpoint, and to make the
best showing possible for the existing sys-
tenn Of rates. The commission desired the
fullest statement possible from them, OF
freight matters, which it is presumed they
gave. These statements and the arguments
made by them We're
DULY CONSIDERED,
and Il any wrong or misleading impressions
were LETT in the minds Of the commissioners,
it must be credited to whatever Judging the
tratic men, or some of them, may have been
guilty of in putting their cases. Whether
they were at all times entirely frank and
ingenious in their representations is a
question for the commission to decide
There were times during the discussions of
the last month or two when the commission
showed evident signs of Impotence at some
of the things told them by parties profess
sing TO be anxious only to aid that body by
atfording all the Information possessed by
them on the rate question. From the great
mass of information given, the facts and
statistics furnished and the varied and con-
fiictiug representations made, the commits
sion has had to select that which is consid
cred
SAFE AND RELIABLE,
and reject the balance To some extent it
was a cropping in the dark, or trying TO con-
struct a building from material no two
pieces of which were alike. The great
mass Of heterogeneous material at hand was
more liable to confuse than to enlighten.
But through it all the commission stTug
gled. and with infinite pains and hard work
constructed the first section of its proposed
tariff system. How well the job was done
time will tell. Il is useless for us to specu-
late on that matter now. The railroads
will doubtless relieve US Of any supposed
duty On that score They Will say, without
doubt, that the new rate is unremunera-
tive, and will result in injury to them. But
it should be remembered that their objec-
ton lies chiefly against a change of SYSTEM
against cnanee from the common point or
blanket system to
THE MILEAGE SYSTEM.
Under the former they enjoyed freedom
of the sweepstake sort that enabled them
10 control, not only rates, but the course Of
commerce. Under the mileage system the
shipper and not the railroad will enjoy that
prerogative. No shipper will pay mileage
rate on long haul, when a shorter haul is
within reach. Even at competitive points
where two or more roads meet he is equally
is the same whether it be over the short or
long line, that is if the latter choose to make
it so, which of course it will do under the
rulings Of the commission without any refer
ence to rates to intermediate points. 1t
will De no easy thing for the roads TO come
down from the old go-as-you-please system
and conform TO the requirements of the
mileUge plan, and they viii probably do
good deal of
SoUIRNING AND CONPI AIMING
But that is inevitable The patient may
kick and grumble at the strict regimen and
penitential self-denial imposed by the stern
physician, but if he would get well ne must
endure it. The traffic men, no less than
the public, are perfectly satisfied that the
commission desires only their good, ana
that it will consciously do nothing that may
prove injurious to them. Its main purpose
is to systematic the traffic business as far
as conditions will admit, and to the greatest
extent possible make freight rates uniform
to the cost of service.
Another thing desired is to check or abol-
ish the system OF favoritism by rebates,
and other devices by which
one shipper or class of shippers, one COM
munity or town is built up at the expense
Of another. The evils of this
PERN1CIoUs PRACTICE
,all for amelioration. Again, strife be-
tween the roads, rate wars, and the thou
sand and one evils resulting from rivalry,
CT bad blood. breeding instability
md uncertainty of rates, will be removed,
md it will no longer be in the power Of one
runk line or powerful system to break /,
Town a weaker rival TO the injury of the |
public. Neither will it be possible for !
spectators to wreck road as they have /
done in this state, for the pur-
pose of gobbiing up the stock for !
mere trife. The adventurer, the |
lou ND ,..Sr,,
10 longer find Texas a congenial .
lime for his maraudiIg and destructive ca |
'eer. But the honest investor will find ab-
olute security and safety from such YAM
,ires. Those desiring to build new lines of /
Dad can be assured beforehand that they
will be
AMPLY PROTECTED
rom the big corporations, and that the lat
er viii be compelled to deal with them
Justly and fairly in the apportioning Of
reight and the division of rates.
These are some of the things that win res.h
ult from change of system, to say p0th-
ne whatever OF u reduction or equalization
# rates. The expulsion of the Railroad I
vrecller, and the consequent security IA
Dads honestly operated, would alone nsSraA
han compensate the people for the eypAasE y
+ maintaining I commission. 1t would do
o thousand fold. How much did the |
ublic lose, and to what trouble and incon-
enience was it put when The International
vas wrecked II may be easily gathered
Y rejecting on the gain made and con-
enience enjoyed since the receivership re-
tored the road to a
SAFE AND HEALTHY
ondition. 1t is true that a handful of self |
eeking politicians tried-at the states ex-
ense, not their own-to down the receiver
hip for the benefits conferred on the pub
C. But that does not deter the public
rom cherishing proper feelings of indigna-
on, although the politicians aforesaid do !
OF, against those who wantonly wrecked |
lie road and made thousands suffer. 1t can
ow be assured that wholesale raScalities
that sort will be no longer possible under
commission organized as the present is, |
nd that the politician and the wrecker can |
0 longer go hand in hand to damage COM
erce and harass the people.
The grain rates promulgated are practi-
ally the same as are in force in Georgia,
here no complaints are heard from any
ne. The roads in Texas complain, how
yer, that the Georgia grain rates are too
Nv for Texas. where the hauls are larger
I'D the cost OF operating more expensive.
THE COMMISSION
dds that in Georgia the rateis determined !
Y existing conditions. to-wit: The scarcity
grain, that not being a embarrassing
ate, circumstance that leaves the rate |
life higher than if there was heavy
eight in that article. Texas being grain
Using state, the conditions are altered
i'd lower rate may be remunerative, |
hen if there was but little grain, it might |
otherwise. If these rates are rerumerative
Georgia where grain is scarce, the COM
ission thinks they ought to be so here