Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-02-10


The following comss 10 The Gazette
from one who Is weli posted as to Tex
az railroad matters.
Dallas. Tex Feb. s.--Editor Gazctte:
In a publication from Austin uu-
der date OF the 7th instant, Mr. Bran
lette makes n statement that 'the
Southern Pacific owns or controls some
ten or twelve roads In Texas, most OF
which latter are more or lcs5 COM
petinR lines. and includes every out-
let to the gulf except Galveston ana
yclasco. Among the roads controiled
and dominated by this foreign corpor-
aiion are the san Antonio and Aransas
Pass, Houston and Texas Central. Cal
weston. harrisburg and San Antonio,
Texas and New Orleans, New NorNi
Texas and Mexican Gulf Western Tex
as and Pacific, Fort Worth and New
orleans, Sabine and East Texas, Texas
Transportation Company, Louisiana
Western Extension. and probably the
Texas Trunk, making total OF more
than $500 miles OF Texas roads"
Why should Mr.. Bmmletto Single out
the Southern Pacific alone? why should
he not have called attention to the syn
dlcate OF roads owned by the Gould
interests, which are practically In the
same status. and more oyershadow-
inE?
Let US see: The Texas and Pacific.
Transcontinental, International, Cotton
Belt, Tyler and Southeastern and Fort
Worth and Denver TOR IL ls now IN the
Gould Union Pacific interesp. These
lines, with their famincaH0ns OF
branches, main lines and Anser1 tadiat-
ing to different points, actually CONF
prise some $500 miles tmore than tae
southern Pacific system), and have
territory tributary TO them OF SOM
10000 Inhabitants, IN the most fer
Tile region OF Texas Saving the West
ern end OF the Texas and PaGncl
Further, as TO the railroads owned or
controlled by the Southern Pacific syg-
tenn. excepting the Aransns Pass from
Houston 10 san Antonio and the Gal
weston, Harrisburg and san Antonio,
the New York. Texas and Mexican Gulf
and Western Texas and Pacific (Which
IS continuation of the furmeD who
can show possible competing line In
any OF The others2 And can 'nese be
said to b. competing further than Ro-
senbcrs Junction and Eagle Lake,
Bach and all diverge Into a different
section ana country ranging from
twenty 20 nfty miles apart, and more
lf these shall be called competing
lines how about the 1rapsc0ntueutal
from TcNarklnn TO Fort worth. the
Cotton Bolt from Toyarknua 10 Fort
Worth. the Texas and Pacific from
Toxarkann % Fort Worth. and tho
Cotton Bolt from tgNarltana 10 Waco.
All running parallel through North
Texas Tor $50 miles and from 20 to
90 miles apart, varying at different
point32
As to the seaport AFFAIR, thcy are
open to each and all systems the
Gould interests sre at Galveston. and
that l8 worth sl the others put to-
guther.
n the milk in the cocoanut is in de-
iigctuE the cotton from Galveston to-
ward New Orleans, what shall DO said
at tno Gould system denectlus on all
save one road2
Treat them All alike IN making state
ments and laws. whatever bc right
ana not Injurious 10 the atutc's In
tereFts accord tiff against them
either accord nothing or eliminate those
parta against the states interest
Every Interest should be f0stercd "a
far as possible compatible with even
and eNuct juBtlce 10 all
AN oNLooKER.
Tho issue here suggested has been
passed upon by tho people and properly
decided 10 be immatcrlal. From the
public point Of view. 1t can matter
but little who owns railroad Those
who would legisiatc against consollda-
ton reassert the theory OF competition
between railroads, which never did ex-
sat as permanent thing. and which
can not, IN the nature OF things. exist
Every law seeking to enforce II must
remain dead letter on the statute
book, and hence IS harmful.
The railroad commission came into
existence because OF the lmposslbllity
OF protection 10 the public through the
influence oi competition. ~ govern
ment regulation is the true solution OF
the railroad problem, and we believe
II 10, then laws which inspire the hope
Of regulation by competition must be
eyll In tendency.
Lava which seek to prevent consol-
datlon OF railroads can be of no effect
unless an effective method can be found
to prevent the consolidation OF owner
uhlp OF stocks. That. OF course. is Inn
possible
No practicable good can DO accom-
plsned In the public behalf by diver
uon OF attention from the only success
ful method Of railroad regulation to a
deluslve chase after phantomg.
The railroad commission Ia the ono
hope Of satisfactory regulation OF rail-
roads, The only other horn to the d.
lemma Is government ownership; any
thing that detracts from the merits OF
one plan AIDA to the argument for tho
other. and he is poor logieian who