Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-22

While the receipts In Galveston were
In lsgO-l, the year before the commits
sion's first dinercntlal, per cent larger
than Houston's. vet for the next ycnr,
1872. when the dirferentlal was In
force, Galveston still received l per
cent more than Houston. But this Is
not all; for the years 1928 and 1884,
In neither OF which was there my CONF
mission dinerentlnl In force. Houston
received more cotton by / and per
cent than Galveston. For iSgi-5, when
the commission dinerenual was In
force, Houston still received per cent
more cotton than Galveston, These
figures appear to concluslyely prove
that to hold the commission RESPONSE
bic for the Increase In the cotton re-
oeipts at Houston as against Calves
ton liz Illogical and unjust.
" Galveston be compared with her
self for the years given, we find COM
plete REPUTATION of the charge that the
commission has done anything to de-
crease her cotton business While the
receipts Were 4 per cent less for 1912
than they were FOR 1901, yet for 1915
they were 4 per cent more than for
1921. Causes may be expected to be
uniform In their operation y0t we here
find an alleged cause producing one
effect at one time and another at
different time.
The truth Is that the commission dlf-
fercutinl Is intended to and does equal
lie conditions between Houston and
Galveston rs nearly as that result can
be attained As long as Houston IN so
miles north of Galveston and there Is
water transportation between them,
there must be peculiar adjustment to
preserve equality between them. The
water rate to Buffalo bayou has been
for many yenrs regarded as criterion
FOR the di1erentlal, which has from time
TO time been lowered as that rate d.
minished and approximate equality be-
tween the wnter rate and the dineron-
tial has been maintained. II differ
entail as such Affects Galveston lnjuri-
ously, the commission should be thank
ed rather than cenaured for reducing
II. 1t Ia strange that Galveston lived
through twenty-five years preceding
the commission II her prosperity Is, as
some OF her people claim, SO affected
by any dlnerentlal that has existed.
How can the fact be explained thnt
during the 20 years. for thrce-fourths
OF which the dlfferential was three
times rs large as that prescribed by
the commission, the largest individual
fortunes that were made In Texas were
accumulated by Galveston merchants,
wharilngers and cotton factors, render
Ing her one of the weRlthiest cities OF
her Bize In tho United States?
Another cogent reason for the differ
entail Is the effect. In view OF It's long
existence, upon Houston. Houston,
plucky energetic and liberal built her
railroads, and she leads all Texas cities
In railroad building, and occupying the
vantage ground by reason OF Their rail-
road position, she invited capital. The
dinerentlnl being established capital
came and was invested by millions, on
the faith, among other things, OF the
dliferentlal, In warehouses. wharveS,
congresses and other facilities for
l.Fs. al l0aaT
tial, which ranged from TO 20 cents
per hundred pounds. for years before
the commission was instituted II Gal
weston complained at all the murmurs
were but fecole. Yet when the COM
mission reduces the differential from
s TO 6 cents. Mr.. Rogers and his nsso-
ciatcs must vigorously assall the COM
mission. even TO the extent OF impung-
Ing ita motives, This they do In the
face OF the fact that TO abrogate the
dlffercntial would entail incalcunblc fl
nanclnl loss on those who on the
strength OF the dlfferential have In
vested their millions In facilities for
handling cotton at Houston. Before
undertaking such confEcatory meas
ures, reasons which have not been
shown. should be produced to the COM
mission.
.. The NTH and sixth resolutions viii
be considered before the 4th ana they
are as follows.
g. THAT the railroads In whose favor
the determinations are made are Of
all the roads In Texas least entitled 10
public favor, and that this resolution
has special force as applied to the
Southern Pacific, which has seemingly
and especially strange influence upon
the commission.
G. THAT these resolutions are In no
wise intended to reflect upon the In
teRrlty and patriotism OF our commits
sion, but Intended only To call their
attention 10 palpable wrongs IN their
power TO remedy, aud which we be-
lleye they Will remedy"
The sixth resolution appears 10 be
the only one which the meeting that
passed the resolutions originated. The
gentlemen who composed that meeting
though giving credence 10 Mr.. Rogers
charge OF injustice produced by the
action, were yet too Just
to beilege the commission guilty OF tho
corruption imputed TO II by that part |
OF the 9th resolution which alleges that |
'sthe Southern Pacific which has SEEM
ingly an especially strange influence |
upon our commission and that part |
Of Mr. Rogers article which more |
strongly states that THE tendency IL
To run rate-making into a protective |
Rystem wherein the cities OF most poll
teal Influence in conjunction with rail- |
roads most liberal with compaign |
funds may bleed and pun down cities, /
! .ctlens ana communities to fattsn and /
T,l. rtStau.Auursl4a