Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-05
w. V. Newlin Argues from the
Figures Presented.
HOW SALT RATES HAVE WORKED
As Applied to the Industry in the State of
Texas.
He Thinis Justice Should be Done and
Sees Danger Absolute Power
Placed IN the Commissions Hands.
The Facts as They are Given.


fning my reference to them as far as pos
siule when unable to quote literally. to the
commissions organ, the Fort Worth GA
zETTE; and in this connection, with refer
ence TO The GAZETTE, l have often won
dered what induced it to lend its columns
and influence TO d policy which has APP
peared TO me as so injurious to the states
best interests. l can only conclude that
The SAzETrE IS honestly sincere in the
support of the commission, and truly be-
lieVes that those who have opposed the
commission have been doing so from purely
selfish, instead of patriotic motives. am
compelled TO do THE GAZETTE this justice
from. the fact that were it insincere and be-
lieved the reverse of what it taught, the
management would certainly have too
much sense TO try and impose upon in
VestorS and business men of brains the
empty falacies originating with the COM
mission. Judging from the article IN The
GAZETTE Of January, 1891, from It's
Austin correspondent, wherein it is
averred a club of particularly bril-
liant men of brains had come to the con-
clusion that there was very little to learn in
traffic in consequence Of which they be-
ieyed they knew about all there was 10 it,
and had therefore formed the conclusion,
after listening to the able address Of Chair
man Reagan, that the commission was the
proper thing, 1t is certainly not surprising
that the editorial staff of The GAZETTE
should have come to so easy q conclusion in
regard to its fund of knowledge concerning
such a simple problem, and having formed u
similar opinion as to the commissions use
fitness and infallibility, proceeded 10 in
Culcate its new found knowledge into its
innocent subscribers, with the usual result
IN such cases Of inspired knowledge of
treating the Judgment of men who have
made traffic a study and profession for
many years with profound contempt. Take
the lawyers and men throusho the coun-
try who have made an honest study of any
profession and earn their support in the
practice Of IL. and you will find body OF
men slow to pit themselves against pro
fession not their own, for their own eX-
perience, when the case is reversed, teaches
them the folly of 1t. Many of those men, as
well as all other classes, have to-day pro-
nounced views in favor of the commission,
and its work up to date. and in all earnest
ness am not surprised at 1t, for the railroads
have 4 hard name TO start in with, and it
must be confessed that to a man not thor
oughly conversant with the science of
freight traffic the commissions platitudeS
are about equally as plausible as the traffic
mems arguments based ON a scientific
knowledge. 1t is IN the belief and hope that
this unfortunate condition can be remedied
and that a professional statement founded
on actual conditions and truths can be made
so comprehensive that the wheat can be
separated from the chat, truth from fall
lacies and platitudes, that l write this let
Ter.
It requires many hours mental study
every day for many consecutive years,
interviewer with constant practice for the
same consecutive period, before man can
hope to thoroughly master the science of
traffic, and yet all of this knowledge, after
acquired in successful practice, if generally
applied, can be summed up in one word
consistency. How could 1t be expected that
TgAs lg-Ef a
mated under the name OF the Texas railway
commission, could be consistent, when all the
knowledge and ramifications incident to
tTaffic as Il science are necessarily lacking,
not one of the present commissioners ever
having had a single days practical expert
ence What possible result could lawyer
or doctor expect if he put John l.. Sui
livau in charge of his practice?
Disastrous, of course, and yet
he IS u great man in his particular profess
sion. The same conditions are applicable
between the railroad and the commission,
with the same inevitable result, disaster
staring the roads N the face, and yet these
men are absolute dictators of over 100000
900 of invested capital within the state.
While it IS true that never affirmed that
every traffic man within the state was mas
ter OF its science, and SO per cent OF pro-
fessional traffic men throughout the coun-
try recognize that the commissions in every
the states best interests, yet l doubt if
within the records of the railways of the
state the commission can find parallel cases
10 those have quoted in the application OF
their tariffs, and even if they could they
would be in the position of using precedents
without merit and proven radically wrong
in support of conditions of their own manu-
facture of like character, which would GER
talnly be u violation of their oath of Office
and clear acknowledgements that they
were not applying their own brains IN the
management of their responsible public
trust and office; neither can they justihably
in the face of the opinion of IS per cent OF
the professional traffic men of the country,
refer to the commissions IN other states as
& precedent.
PLATITUDEs.
I will select the most plausible of these
ever presented and quote verbatim from
Commissioner Fosters letter published in
the Fort Worth GAZETTE of January "A,
1892, as follows:
The commission rates were intended TO
encourage the development of domestic |
mines. stimulate production at home and |
afford the people the benefit of competition |
between the domestic and foreign product, |
and if that result can be even measurably |
attained the price of coal will ultimately be |
materially reduced at consuming points in |
Texas That it can, if coal in sufficient |
quantities can be found in the state, IS |
abundanCly demonstrated by the experience |
of the Texas salt manufacturers at Grand |
Saline and Colorado City. Though they |
produce only fraction over one-ftth OF the |
salt annually consumed in the state, since |
their establishment the price OF salt to the |
Texas consumer at points they could reaeh |
has fallen from 81 80 to about Sl,65 per bar |
rel of 300 pounds. A large territory could |
not be reached by them at all prior 10 the |
fixing of rates on salt by the commission, |
one Of the railroads boldly avowing that II
had made rates TO keep Texas salt on Its
lines After the commission rates were
established and the Texas manufacturers
were able to reach all parts Of the state
with their product, interstate lines
made 4 reduction in rates from
the salt mines in Michigan and
Kansas that enables the foreign product to
reach the Texas consumer at many points
on more advantageous terms than the nome
product. The Texas salt manufacturers
have appealed to the commission Tor an !
amendment of the salt tariff that will
enable them to reach the consumer on equal
terms with foreign manufacturers, and the
problem is now before the commission for
solution. When the commission rates on
salt were first announced the railroads pro-
tested that they were 100 low. and would
result in an unnecessary sacrifice of their
revenues have already stated that the
of the Texas salt mines is only
about one-fifth of the annual consumption
in this state. Ii follows, therefore, that
the other four-fifths must be imported, and
thai the railroads would have hauled il at