Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-23
GAZETTE.


poTs under the disadvantage OF being
new In the market. nd more expensive
10 mine, and this OF Itself
ls sufficient burden The
rate from McAlester TO Dallas, a
distance of 1908 miles, is H.75 per ton,
or less than l cent per ton per mile.
The ratio from Bridgeport to Dallas, 20
miles, Is 81 20 per ton, IL cents pet
mile, Take the rate to Austin, Waco,
or nearly any other town in Texas, and
the discrimination In freight per ton
per mile Is about IN the same proper
ton Even the rate fixed by the COM
mission is Il high one compared with
the rate fixed by some OF the railway
COMPANIES when they desire to induce
or force the consumption in Texas Of
coal from certain mines. The mining
interest only asks n fair and equitable
rate. They are entitled to whatever
advantage they have by reason OF geo
graphical location. The advantages
should not be leglslated away from
them, either BY railway officials or po'
litical bodies
Even with a uniform maximum rate,
where the same men control railways
and mines on the said railways. there
Will be some determination. We ask
no protection. but only fair dealing.
We have not asked for any less rate
on our slack than on our lump coal,
but only that we have a uniform ana
reasonable rate so far as the commits
sion can establish Il. II railway,
also owner of coal mining property re-
duce Its rate on Its coal, then | believe
in Justice 10 mining interests In Texas
that the commission should further re-
ducc coal rates to cqualiae this, as rail-
roads are chartered and built
for transportation purposes and Il
permitted to mOnopollze one productive
Industry on its line. could monopolze
all Of them by the same policy. Take
as basis tho forty-.wo mile haul on
the Rock Island to Fort Worth, the 100
mile haul on the Texas and Pacific TO
Fort Worth from Thurbcr and the 203
mile haul ON the Missouri, Kansas and
Texas froS. McAlester to Dallas, and
the rate promulgated by the commits
sion Is much higher. IL Is far better
for coal mines inTeXas. as IL Is uniform
and applies equally TO the output of all
mines over all roads. 1t Is but fair that
the commission should give Bridgeport
| and Thurber and other Texas mines the
same rate per ton per mile on coal to
all points on the Missouri, Kansas and
Texas that they fix on coal to Dallas
and Fort Worth in an attempt to Kill
out Texas mining interests. Bridge
| port coal Is carried to Fort Worth,
forty-two miles, FOR 60 cents, but whom
It attempts to get into Austin q is
S3.25 per ton. as evidenced by recent
shipment We believe. In Justice to
[ mining interests sought To be dcvelOp-
/ ed in Texas. that your honorable body
| should require from Interstate lines
| some assurance that their published
/ rates on interstate coal to Texas will
/ be rigldly maintained, and that you adj
/ wise them In advance that further re-
| duction on their part from commission
/ rates will be regarded as fixing an
/ equitable basis for further reduction ON
] Texas coal TO points on their lines
l Thurber Is l0i miles from Dallas, vet
| Its coal is delivered there at so cents
/ per ton. when Bridgeport coal is de-
/ liyered to the Texas and Pacific NJ Fort
] Worth il charges 65 cents per ton for
its thirty-two miles haul The railroad
company originating the coal freight
delivers 1t to the first or only connect
ing line.
n there Is coal IN sufficient quality
and quantity in Texas to supply the
state, why should transportation COM
panles be permitted to alternately raise
and lower rates for the purpose Of pa
! venting development OF this important
industry? Why should not transporta-
tlon lines adopting this shuttle-cock
policy be forced to adopt and abide by
uhiform and fair rate2 The rates
| given by interstate or state roads to
coal on their own lines in Texas are not
low as compared with the rates charg-
cd per ton per mile for coal In other
localities, oven on same lines The
rates charged to keep coal off Of their
lines not originating on them are In
| some instances Internationally high
and plainly discriminating in their
character In some instances these
rates are manlfestly put on to regulate
tho "a ..f