Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-25

abssrbs & 5Eiors, az IS itching. eaecting
HLES gasSf d B0skhko. Philadelphia. Pa.
Mentiqette Fost Worth Gazette.
of the Georgia commission, they will save
US from ourselves"
The people now have my official utter
ance, when a general freight agent, repre-
senting the roads, to compare with my
statements as private citizen, represent
ing the peoples interests as well as my
own, and it will be observed that when
representing the railroads I dis
tinctly stated a commission that would
adjust rates fairly and equitably
would be benefit to the railroads
and not TO the people. A commission means
to throttle competition. The present COM
mission has announced its fixed determine
ton to entirely disregard competitive con-
ditionS, and the only salvation the people
have against them in this respect is that
they don't know what they do mean, and no
sooner make one announcement in theory
than they reverse it in practice.
We will now get back to our enterprising
investor. He has made his calculations
and lSsQws jusnsabout how his competitive
condi sfaf We Will sat he finds hsl
! capsse asa eouis Territory with radius n
ltjsg ffllss# rom his propesed works, btt
sFilss tA8 1afes to point beyond put ida
4ittlesf0utskof his reaea He goes
a geeeral Sreight sgsa5 tor relief beyond,
anF says tsh5a n yo4eould average these
ratsls,1S ffttle so as d make little more
on your short hauls and a little less on your
long, the result would be about the same to
you, and l could start up my works. The
freight agent says; That is fair PROPOSE
ton, but unfortunately the power to ac-
commodate You has been taken out of
my hands, Such q suggestion from me
.
Perhaps you had better try them; and now
we have our would-be investor before the
commission with the chairman holding-rrrris'
tariff under discussion up before him and
explaining that the rates in that tariff were
made upon what the commission sup
posed to be just and equitable
rates, for service performed
and that being the case, it would be legally
impossible to change them as suggested,
for just think what burden it would be to
consumers on the short hauls to increase
their rates and lessen them to
consumers on the long hauls
The commission then endeavors to convince
the would-be investor that the consumers
on the short hauls would prefer going
thousand miles to market and paying maxi
mum freight rates than they would to have
their market at the home mandatory and
almost at their door if in this adyan-
tage to themselves they were com
PEELED to show any charity TO their state
neigbbors little further of. On truth, no
charity would be shown. Merchants
in Texas only ask to be put on an equality
in freight rates. The chairman, then,
in little over a whisper, states, a
commission did have theory once that
it could confscate the railways property to
support manufacturers and play fast and
loose with the states honor, but when they
came to practice it, they were surprised
to find the people Of Texas loved fair
play better even than manufactures,
and their fate has been a warning to us,
besides which, logically reasoned, it was
discovered the proposed remedy would
result in effectually killing Instead of curing
the patients. What has been said in regard
to the would-be investor, who goes back
home stating conditions here were not
feasible, applies equally to all other enter
priseS. If the people feel a commission
necessary for protection, and this they
have right to, elect an advisory commits
ion A freight agent then after due notice
to the advisory commission can accommo-
date his rates to the requirements of COM
merce, and every citizen can have protec-
ton in his appeal to the commission
What the present commission refers to as
Determinations have IN far more than nine
cases out of ten been an effort on the part
of general freight agents to assist some
legitimate and worthy home enterprise
without a penny of cost or discrimination
to any other enterprise or person within
the state. I could enlarge widely on the
advantages to the state OF an advisory com
mission were it not for the fear of weary
ing my readers. believe an advisory com
mission would harmonic all interests and
fully restore coniidence3 It is impossible
to find men who will make large invest
ments in any enterprise where the power
to protect them is withdrawn from the
railroads, Just the same as it would be i'm
possible to induce two business men to 20
in1Q partnership with the right with
drawn FROM either or both OF them to pro-
tect their own interests.
It has now been shown beyond peradven-
ture of a doubt that the very conditions
which retard home manufactures are the
conditions which impose the heaviest bur
dens upon home railways, and that it is
utterly false to accuse the railways of re-
sponsibility for them, and that on the con-
trary the only hope for ultimate relief from
them is in increased railway mileage and
development Of the state. 1t
has been shown that IN many classes of
conditions as they exist Of
fer magnificent inducements to investors.
Why do they not avail themselves of theml
Because the administration has bankrupted
the states credit for integrity. Before the
advent of the present administration and
commission millienS Of dollars were look
ing toward Texas as the greatest field for
investment in the world. Since its advent
not only have these millions been withheld
but millions more withdrawn What man
of reputation and credit belonging TO any
character Of commerce within the state
will come out boldly over his own signature
and deny these truths or prove them false
VIII any such man indorse the commits
,ionis present avowed intention of confis-
eating the property of the home rail- |!
ways and doubling their burden in order to
relieve state conditions for which the rail-
ways not only are not responsible, but are |
he only factors 70 look to for relief. Why
ill the goose that lays the golden eggsl 1
With this svoved aud unretractei menace |
staring foreign capital in the face, how can +.
he state expect more to follow in any |
lass OF enterprise a theft gains his rep |
Itation and IS convicted for being a thief: |
lot on account Of the quality of the goods |
le steals. So It IS with the states repusasx4
ion under the existing railway esaniz6sl.. i
# Texas, backed % tAeEzz.z.s sdnlinis-