Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-18
Gould the Brazos River Be
Made by improving IT,
WACO WORKING LIKE A TURK
Full Report Of Judge maslcfson, Chairman Of
the Committee How the Work Can Be
Done and the Plans ThalAro Pro.
posed--From velaseo Up


seated by Judge Branch A. M0sterson
ot Galveston at the Brazos river Improve
mcnt meeting last night concerning tue
benefits 10 accrue from navigation OF the
river ana the plan to be pursued la carry
ing out the enterprise.
The problem of how to regulate and
adjust the varied interests connected with
transportation, fairly TO those whose capt
tdl " invested In lines of transportation,
and 90 the producers aud consumers AZ
feCted by The rates aud charges N before
the people and must receive q solution
In SOME way. The owners of railways
claim TINT " left to natural laws OF com
petition excessive charges viii be avoided,
This would be- true 1T there were any cum'
pctitiye rates, but the fact Is IN Texas
the railways have become parts of long
lines extending across the United Sntes
the Huntington system includes the
Southern Puciflc from New Orleans To
San Francisco: the Houston ana Texas
Central the Texas aud Mexican, Cult
West Texas and Pacific the Arkansas
Pass, and other smaller lines.
The other railways being owned 10y the
Gould Missouri. Kansas and Texas
and the Atchison, Topeka and SANTA TO-
The rates ON these lines from points
whore there rs but one line b determined
10y the highest rate the traffic VIII heAt'
aud the rates from common points 40
not depend ON competition, and are not
even fixed by each for ITSELF nut nW
determined hv traffic association or
rate meeting Nv which all the agents oi
an the railroads determine the rates
To- be- charged ON each, The very object
of their rate meeting h 10 avoid c9inpc'-
ing rates. and fix rates applicable 10
All roads Just ns VI all were ma one OWL
prshp. 20 Illustrate; II the SANTA re
should da.,ire 10 draw the trndo tn Nal
weston IT, gulf terminus, u cannot gave
n reduced or competing rate lower IMAM
the rate-mnkera have determined pv'Au.v
Ii would lead to rate war molE l'
entire line, and though 1t has been ursVu'
G,ot discrimination I'm favor OF New
! Orleans exists, this rond cnnnot Not m
drnendentlv and Rive a dihcrcnt rate 10
Galveston and build MP its own business
without causing rate war
I'm recent issue Of the st. l.oNlr
| Globc.Dcmocrat Is u notice oi M hupvl
nnt rate meeting. iu which II ls whN1'
thnt all Leading interests ih we '.,H,!!,
,yest arc represented and snys' hr
Gould Abhiusnm Huntington ANA Mlr
| snuri Kansas aud Texas are tWlA trpl'
| scented. Az an the railroads must charge
| The rates fixed by the trnihc meeting,
| ii follows TINT there rs not ana 'nnho'
he "A connecting rrte The NeAed purs'
| ton will not be settled py hhIul"' N'"'F'
Another remedy II for the stnte 60 lenA
! Tho school fund 20 build another ruilrohf
from the gulf to the northern limit p'
Texas. Aside from the risk 20 me luh ..
Il is reasonably certain mat th. ueJollg
of stock would soon be acquired 10y elthei
! hp Gould. Huntington. Atchison or MIS-.
snuj Kansas aud Texas systems, nn"
| N moi fine owners would be- forced To JON
! The rate makers or stand rhle war
that would with shou hhe force ~
opcrnte AZ loss. while the syHlrlns coy
oring thousands Of miles W9uu svul'nlg
feel rate war covering only irncuoh
W Gi0O.mile road can afford 10 lose ON
400 miles while ID rs making u prnht ON
the other 300 miles.
To build and equip 800 mile road.
well ballasted and with henyy rails, ,wul
cost approximately SouuouuV, ID"
suu ron only be raised ON hundr, uld
tbey would have 10 be ionteu IN New
York the money center. If the ROAD
whom built accomplished the desired ehd
! of choapenifR transportation. these bonds
would be- bought and rate war cuung on
ability 10 pay interest, would result IN
foreclosure aud sale and purchase ~
one of the long systems OF RAILROADS.
Onr state h fortunately provided by
mature with the only sure and pernn-
nent means of reducing transportation
charggs 10 "A minimum, and that Is hy
wafer transportation, The freight rate
from St. Louis % Neo Orlennr on hour
by railroad " II cents per 100 pounds
and bncon - cents per 100 pounds.
IRON 81. Louis TO Dallas or Waco, Hour
40 cents per 100 pounds. aud bacon %
cents per 100 pounds; st. Louis 20 Cal.
vestnn or Houston, flour 80 cents per 100
pounds. bacon AZ cents. The water ratio
from ST Louis 30 New Orleans govern
the railway and shows tie discount over
points IN Texas where there Is no Wntep
faNINnalnU
Houston are lower than interior points
/ because of their water communications
by way of the gulf Does Il not neces.
sarily follow That reductions Of rates bN
both rnil and water Will follow every
advance IN facility for handling freight
by wnteri If 80. the saving Of ireight
IN one year would repay the expenditure
necessary 10 open up the winter route.
The enterprising citizens OF Waco had
survey mlde OF the Brnzos river from
Waco 10 Richmond and have nsccrtaiued
that hy an expenditure of ANAL sum
of money. compared tO the benefits "
sultng, the BrazOs can be made nnlign-
bile from Waco TO Richmond, and from
thcre 10 the mouth The water Is sufficient
II snags are removed. 10 navigate nt any
time The immediate results of the
opening Of the Brazos would be re-
ductiOn Of from 70 10 80 per cent IN
freight rates. not only ON the freight
that takes the winter route but tho rail
road parallel with the Braz0s, ia 0rdeI
10 hold their traffic, would be forced Ia
reduce rates to met competing water
rates. This has been demonstrated by
the fact that the railroads applied both
10 the interstate and state COMMISSIONS
10 reduce rates wherever they met water
competition
The navigation Of the BrazOs could not
become a monopoly, because wheneyel
charges were too high any town could
put In at trlilg expense, line "
canal barges that would reduce freight
rates N this route was opened. cheaI
trnmways, such as sugar plantations use
for hauling cane 90 the mills, would be
constructed through each county for
afty miles back from the river, and TIC
freight would be hauled 10 tho river as
ebeaply as it Is now hauled TO the rail.
road. The state could utilize her sui,
plus cOnyictE In grading theRe rOadwaya
and cutting ties, AID the rails and tho
rolling stock being light after the roadway
n graded and tics put IN, the expense e
the county would not be grehtcr than
now expended annually under the rOnd
and bridge tax These tramways eOnld
b. extended for nifty miles on each sid,
of the river. aud daily rouBd trip made
with one engine with three train men
thus affOrlinR low transportation for 4
/ fnrrtt1rV AM miles long and IDO milo.