Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-03


tariffs in this res rect imposes upon the rail
ways Of Texas, but the following illustra-
ton will make It extremely clear and simple
to any one. We viii take, under the CON-
missions tariff No. !, a shipment Of car
load OF -four from Vernon, Tex on the Fort
Worth and Denver railway, to Longview,
Tex, on the Texas and Pacific railway, a
distance of 3I9 miles; divided. Vernon to
Fort Worth 1853 miles Fort Worth TO Long
view, via Texas and Pacific railway, 156
miles.
The commissions straight mileage rate,
If this shipment had destination as well
as origin on any individual line, would be
for SO miles, 1910 per 100 pounds; but
under the commissions saving proviso in
tariff No. l, this shipment being inter-
changed with S connecting line, which
means passing oyer two roads, instead of
being confined between two stations on the
same road, the rate would be made by
ad ding the commissions locals, less 20 per
cent for the distance hauled over each road,
not. however, to exceed the maximum rate,
which on -four is &c per 100 pounds. To
arrive at this rate then between Vernon
ami LongYiew we would have 163 miles
hal bver the Fort Worth and Denver City
railway, commissions local l51s cents, and
1856 miles on the Texas and Pacific railway,
commissions local 1516 cents. The sum of
the two locals is 81 cents, less 20 per cent,
making "a $40 cents through rate, when
hauled over two roads, against 1915 cents
for the same haul on any one road, thus in
surfing to each road a minimum revenue of
not less than 20 per cent Of its local rates,
and clearly illustrating that under COM
MISSIONS tariff no. 1, where two or more
roads have to haul freight corresponding
distance that one line might, have to haul,
the through rate for the same distance over
the two roads would be greater than over
tine one road.
While several of the officials Of Texas rail-
roads believe that the commissions rates in
tariff No. are unnecessarily and unreason-
ably low, they all admit that the principle
of protecting the roads revenue on business
intercbanged with connecting lines is cor
rect, and to clearly indicate this is not snap
Judgment to meet a favorable condition to
the railroads, quote from my open letter
TO the commission Of November 25, 1891, as
follows:
sin your tariff No. / you establish prin-
ciple that the railroads in Texas interchang-
ing business with their Texas connections
should receive 20 per cent less than their
local tariff, or that percentage less than
they would receive on business having
origin and destination on their own line
and not interchanged with connections.
The justice of the advocacy of this 20 per
cent basis depends largely upon the equity
to the railroads of the local rates estab-
hshed on any one line. II is q recognized
principle of traffic throughout the United
States that rates for the same mileage on
the same class of commodity of freight
inLerchanged between connecting lines shall
be greater than it is for a corresponding
mileage on any one line. The recognized
basis Of this principle is that were it other
wise and the same rate for this same mile
age on the same class or commodity of
freight charged on business interchanged
with connecting lines as on a local line,
of hF1cI
would be entirely disproportionate to the
revenue accruing on local shipments having
origin and destination on one line, to such
an extent as in many or most instances
would make the business Improbable, the
result of which is not only 4 loss of legiti-
mate revenue to the roads interchanging
the business but is u tax on the people and
towns on and tributary to the local road,
from the fact that they are compelled to
haul freight for people not living on their
line At much less revenue than they do for
people living on and tributary to it, thereby
deDriviug the road of that revenue which
is necessary to the proper maintenance Of
track bridges, depot buildings and other
betterments which go to insure not only
frst-class service but life and safety of the
patrons of the road. There are of course
exceptions to this rule, as in the case of
through or competitive freight to bear any
participation in which the roads have to ac-
and not q tax on the local interests of the
road as long as the revenue derived per-
mits of any profit. To apply this principle,
however, on all traffic would bankrupt our
road"
We will now reverse the shipment, using
application of commissions tariff No. 3,
and take carload of lumber from Long
view to Vernon. No provision being made
for hauls between connecting lines, the
commissions rate tor the 319 miles, which
is 20 cents, Is as high as it would be for the
same haul over any one line, thus leaving
20 cents TO divide between the Texas and
Pacific and the Fort Worth and Denver
City railway, and the hauls being about
equal in length, this would allow the Texas
and Pacific railway for l56 miles 10 cents
per 100 pounds against the commissions
tariff rate to any one line for the same haul
Of II cedts per 100 pounds, a reduction of
Il per cent with a corresponding result to
the Fort Worth and Denver City railway
for its haul of 163 miles Furthermore, the
commission in its tariff No. l prescribed
certain territory as entitled to higher rates,
and have ignored this feature in tariff No.
g. Canary sensible man deny after this
exposition that one of these tariffs must be
wrong, if the other is right, and this being
admitted are they not Numerically antago-
nistic to each other!
It must now be borne in mind in order to
appreciate the disastrous effects to the
railroads of the principle adopted by the
commission in tariff No. 3, that the same
principle is enforced in all their subsequent
tariff issues as follows:
Tariff No. 4-On cotton seed, cotton seed
hulls, cotton seed meal, ashes, cake and oil;
effective October g. 1891.
Tariff No Son wood, coal and coke;
effective October S, 1891.
Tariff No. Con cotton in bales, COM
pressed and uncompressed; effective Octo-
Der -, 1891. This tariff cancelled tariff No.
, and fixed lower rate on compressed
than on uncompressed cotton.
Tariff No. This tariff fixes rate on
all articles named in tariff No. /, in less
than carload shipments; effective October
Il, 1891.
Tariff No. S-This tariff Cancelled tariff
No and reduced the rates on salt. With
this exception there is no difference be-
tween tarifs No. and s; effective October
80, 1891
Tariff No. Son wood, coal and coke.
This tariff cancels tariff No. 5, and reduces
the rates prescribed therein on coal for
long distances; also fixes different rate
on hard and soft coal effective November
8, 1891.
Tariff No 10-On brick, fire brick, stone
and sand; effective November 10, 1891.
And I would particularly emphasize the
statement as corroborated by what follows
that the entire application Of commissions
tariffs, while seriously and vitality Gripping
the trunk or interstate lines running into
the stata neverthelaSs imuoseS far greater