Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-12-11

NltcAtIitts NY nav WV NNAntst
can DO great deal OF work and think
ing, and are quick IN comprehension
and thought. The railroad interests OF
Tcxaa are the largest aud most yal-
liable OF any OF the Texas enterprises.
They represent cash valuation In
round numbers OF titdoeoocc. They
are benehciarios Of the state and they
are great BENEFITS and aid materially
In the development OF Toxas and IN tna
prosperity OF her people They should
be treated fairly. md the merchants
and snlppcrs OF Texas should receive
like consideration at their hands.
The railroads or Texas understand
that they are to be regulated BY a
commission. The question which now
receives their study and careful ntten-
ton Us to get as favorable rates aaspoa-
siilc. Tho object and aim OF the CONF
mission ls not to promulgatc or exact
unjust. irrational or inconvenlent rates
iiA... .ADn.uu. To estaDis..e reasonable.
maximum rates which are fair aud
which seek to prevent unjust and In
Ns.ous u,ncriIninatipn anu cxtortlon.
The railroads OF the state have ex-
pcrlonced and well-paid representatives
TO present their cause. They have nc
cess to Information from ali quarters,
The Texas railroad commissioners are
the peoples agentr-not In the sense
that they are TO ask all OF thu rnii-
roads possible for them to attain. nut
10 sit as fair and impartial court
and decide according TO me equity and
Justice u the case. II takes a thorough
familiarity with conditions and situa-
tons and Information relative to rail-
roads, which can only be Obtained fron
constant and earnest study. The po-
ai'ion OF the commissioner IN diner
ent In this respect TO that OF the
Judge. When appeals are taken
iron the lower to tnu court " flnal To-
SOFT, decisions are MADE ana the con-
troNerted questions OF law scttied. Not
50 with the ruiinRs VI the commission.
That board may come to decision
which the railroads win not scosrt
and agree to appeal under the mold
lnga OF the United States supreme
courts to the courts OF the country on
the question OF the reasOnableuoas ard
Justness of the rate, and this same
procedure may be gone through Nith
innumerable numbers OF times In the
coarse OF year, where turiifA which
are promulgated are not agreed TO by
tho railways. In fact. the .ommlsaon.
itself. Ia compelled to resort 20 tho
courts at times FOR the enforcement Of
ita tariffs and rulings,
Under the Workings OF he cnmmis-
sion. the people OF this state arc fayed
In the course of a year many thousand
dollars; In fact. on one .mall item
alone. which could be mention "a. the
consumers ana shippers OF Texas are
saved enough to pay the salaries OF
the three commissioners i0l Rttachea
OF this department for ten Years. This
sounds large, but Il In fact which
can be clearly shown and demonstrate.
ed. For the benefit OF Judge NuHont
who made the reckless ana Incorrect
statement In his speech at Fort Worth
before u Populist AUDIENCE last SUM
mcr that the rates were iishcr than
previous to the commission. deFlro
10. sNa 0 hat l NNtk AL lsFIa
ton he would have found that auch u
condition does not exist. II II a nat
ter of public record that the always
last year complained that ghe commits
sion reduced the rate on cotton on
an average OF about 20 cents per bale,
nggregating saving to the citizens OF
TcNns OF Mt least ss50OOO, fOr tho sea-
son OF 1884. As TO tho present work.
ings OF the commission, | tan gay tn
Judge Nugent md produce In evidence
the proof that rates have been re-
duccd both ON general merchandise as
wen as on the following iommOditlea.
Cotton, grain gram products 10 hay,
cotton seed and It's producta. noal.
wood. paper mill stock and liz pro-
| ducts. brick and FIRE clay. live stock.
nwine and lard. lime, cement and plDa-
ter. wooden fence posts, packing house
| products, cement, bngginK aud tieh,
| canned Foods, isrloul' ural Implements,
Fl
| f-eiicfa, cOndenserA and cotton presses,
crackers. beams. columns I'd ,.irdcf9,
nuts, rivets and bolts. stone and ntone-
| ware, wooden ware. Iron castings. ttd
| on salt,
In connection with this statement l
| wish To refer 20 the Increased earnings
| IN freight businesa M shown In the
weeks daily state papers. For the past
| year ended June 30 the Increase over
1894 was N,7SO.d2 ". The Popullst
! lendcra who have declared their op.
| position TO a railroad commission VIII
| no doubt be found making the nHser-
tion that rates on everything have been
reduced and yet the railways have IN
creased their earnings, They VIII pro
bubly understand how this H. how
ever. when Democrat explains that
reduced rates stimulate buainens,
causes more local traffic, and that fxed
tnrlffs inspire confidence In trade. II
! will be remembered that In the cam
pnign OF 1892 II was shown that on
the principle that cheap rates stimu-
late aud rive life to trade, the rail-
| roads carried more trafiic with better
returns during the commission period
OF 1--WE months beginning july J and
ending December. 1881. than during the
corresponding five months OF the pre-
vious year tho earnings OF one leading
| road In tho state being used showing
an increase OF about $4,000 while thu
operating expenses decreased about
si72.00O without reducing the employer
wages. The same condition existed
with other roads mentioned ut that
time.
The people OF Texas have snld that
they want II and The advirhbility OF
having II In not u question for dis
cusslon. for there " no reasonable
doubt but what the commission Will be
perpetuhtcd. There are some laws gov
crnlnR II, however, which might well
be amended. one In that under the
present law the commission n required
10 give a notice OF thirty days before
rates can be charged. a requirement
which works to the detrlment and In
jury OF Texas The time IN too
long. The same notice required
OF the Interstate Commerce commla-
sion should apply 10 the Texas "ommis-
sion. Interstate roads may be lcHssnei
In three days or increased In zen. n IL
easy to understand what advantages
outside states can enjoy over Texan
under Interstate reductions. At
time when grain. corn. coal. etc. are
moving nm interstate rate could be
made which would cause TO be brought
into Texas many cars Of outside pro-
ducts before the expiration OF thirty
days when tho relief could be granted
by the Texas commission. There 10 n
law on the ptntute books today sub